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Q: I got placed on the  

waiting list

  for my first choice school. Is there anything I can do to improve my chances for admission?

First, Stay Realistic
A: "Just because colleges have a waiting list doesn't mean they'll actually use it. If a college admitted 17,000 students expecting 5,000 to say 'yes,' and indeed 5,000 accept, then the waiting list is no longer needed. As a student, there is no way to know how successful the yield will be or what number you are on the list."

-- Sonja Montiel, President, College Confidence

Get Specific
A: "Find out why the college has wait-listed you. I know of one student who found out that she was wait-listed because her math score was 10 points too low. She retook the test, raised her score, and was subsequently admitted."

-- Kelly Tanabe, Co-author, "Get Into Any College" (SuperCollege, 2004)

Bang on the School's Door
A: "Consider updating your writing samples, getting additional recommendations, and retaking standardized entrance exams. Or, as a colleague of mine did successfully, simply show up on the school's doorstep [and schedule an admissions interview]. That certainly indicates a desire to attend."

-- Erin Korsvall, The Sallie Mae Fund

Q: With campus tours, virtual tours, CD-ROMs and college guidebooks, what are the strengths of each method for getting to know a campus?

College Guidebooks
A: "College guidebooks serve the purpose of helping students determine whether or not they have the minimum pre-requisites for acceptance. As a former college counselor, I relied heavily on such resource books to help my students divide their colleges into 'likely,' '50/50,' and 'reach' lists."

-- Brian Bava, Admissions Counselor, Albertson College of Idaho (Caldwell, ID)

Virtual Tours and CD-ROMS
A: "CD-ROM and virtual tours often give students a glimpse into the individual personality of an institution. You often 'meet' several students and faculty members on the virtual tour of CD. But they still lack the personal touch and interactive nature of a visit to the campus. It's information put together, very professionally done to show off only the very best side of the college."

-- Ken Huus, Dean of Admissions, Sweet Briar College (Sweet Briar, VA)

A: "The campus tour provides the best of all the different mediums -- contact with students plus the opportunity to see the buildings and experience the culture and environment firsthand. The virtual mediums are great tools at the beginning of the search process, but contact with the admissions staff and students can help fill in some of the missing pieces about the college."

-- Jessica A. Day, Director of Admissions, Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT)

Campus Tours
A: "Campus tours are the most valuable, as they will immerse the student in the culture and Campus life. However, virtual tours can help narrow down which campuses are worth visiting, and can be a great substitute for students who cannot visit a campus. [Some schools, like Wilkes] have virtual communities for prospective students. They allow you to meet other students."

-- Jack Chielli, Executive Director of Marketing Communications, Wilkes University (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

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