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Finally! After over six weeks of anxiously waiting for the mailman to deliver the letter that will decide the next four years of your life, it's here. Your name is officially typed on the envelope; the logo of your college of choice is embossed on the left-hand corner. Ripping open the seal, you hold your breath for the moment of truth. You're either in or out. At least that's how you thought it worked.

The one-page letter doesn't offer "congratulations," or "regretfully inform" you of anything. In fact, after the long wait you're not given any decision at all. The uncertainty seems even worse than an outright rejection -- you've been waitlisted!

As an honors student with a 4.0 GPA, 1460 SAT score, numerous awards, musical and sports activities, Geoffrey McAnderson was more than a little surprised to appear on Swarthmore College's (Swarthmore, PA) waiting list. He had been accepted and offered nearly full tuition scholarships from both Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA) and Washington University (St. Louis, MO), but after wavering between Swarthmore and Washington for nine months, he felt he owed it to himself to stick it out until the final decision was made.

Deciding which college to attend isn't easy. Add a waitlist to the mix, and the difficult process can become downright maddening. "Typically, these waitlist decisions are made on a March to April time frame," explains Al Newell, dean of enrollment at Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA). He advises students to keep another option for themselves if they are waitlisted. "By May 1, traditionally the national deposit date, waitlisted students should place a deposit at some other school." In other words, definitely make sure you have another choice.

Not only did Geoffrey make a deposit at Washington University, but he dug in his heels and got to work. Along with the response card, he sent a letter to the admissions office of Swarthmore College explaining his desire to attend the school, and dropped an email to the admissions representative for his region. Later in the month, he asked his high school counselor to write a personal note, followed by an extra recommendation from a favorite history teacher and another e-mail to his regional representative. His plan to show a strong interest in the school without sounding bitter or obsessed paid off. A month later, Swarthmore College accepted Geoffrey and offered him an impressive financial aid package to seal the deal.

So what should you do if faced with a waitlist dilemma? First, assess the situation. According to Jim Bekkering, the vice president for admissions at Hope College (Holland, MI), you and your parents should seriously decide how badly you want to be at a particular college. If this is the school of your choice, get the facts. Politely ask the admissions office how many students are on the list, how many waitlisted students were admitted in the previous two years, and whether there's an order of preference. Also inquire about what factors will be taken into account in deciding who is accepted from the list. This should give you a general sense of your chances.

Once you clearly understand the process, decide on your time frame. "The stronger the desire is, the longer you should be willing to wait," says Bekkering. "It should be decided by each individual family."

Second, write a nice letter to the admissions office immediately after receiving your waitlist notice. Dr. Robert J. Massa, vice president for enrollment and student life at Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA), suggests you imitate Geoffrey and write a letter to the director of admissions explaining exactly why you should be admitted. "Outline why you think the college is the perfect match for you -- your learning style, your style of interaction, and your educational objectives. Show that you know the college and that you know yourself. Tell the admissions director why the college will be a better place if you are there. If there is an opening, and you do this, you will stand a better chance of getting in."

Third, don't be discouraged by getting waitlisted. "It is frustrating and often heart-breaking to be waitlisted by your favorite college," says Sabena B. Moretz, associate director of admission at the University of Richmond (Richmond, VA).

Take Scott Glabe for instance. He knows firsthand that being thrown in the waitlist game is not the end of the world. Placed on three very prestigious waitlists -- for Harvard, Yale, and Stanford -- Scott decided to be patient. "Yale was my first choice. I had been pretty certain I would get in, and so I thought, if they took anybody off the waitlist, I might be one of their first choices."

Meanwhile, he had been admitted to Brown, Duke, and Dartmouth. After months of waiting and wondering, it was a load off his shoulders to know his admission somewhere was certain. "Eventually, I planned on going to Dartmouth, with Yale as my long shot if I got off the waitlist." Scott is now a proud member of Dartmouth College's class of 2006. He believes it can't hurt to stay on a waitlist, but if you're waitlisted somewhere, the odds are high that you've been accepted somewhere very similar. "Get excited about where you've been accepted, and transfer your school spirit there."

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