Columbia College and the Fu School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University are two of the most prestigious undergraduate colleges in the world, not only because they are also within the famed Ivy League. Admissions is extremely selective, as students seek out an outstanding education in the heart of New York City.The acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was , yet was also class of accepted students in University history. This was a slight (1%) increase over the Class of 2028 acceptance rate. What we can’t know is how many of those students — or how many students this year — were waitlisted.

Whereas most schools report their waitlist statistics in the annual Common Data Set, providing some visibility into how the waitlist operates at a particular institution, Columbia doesn’t. They do not share any of their waitlist statistics: the number of students waitlisted, the number who choose to join the waitlist, or the number accepted off of the waitlist. Despite that lack of visibility, we do know some facts. We know that they offer some students a spot on a waitlist. We know that many students accept that offer. And we know that a small number of students are offered a place in the first-year class after being on the waitlist. We know that last one with confidence because we’ve worked with many students toward just that outcome.  

In this post, we’ll share what we’ve learned from helping students get off of the Columbia waitlist and into the Ivy League. These steps require effort, determination, and the ability to be self-critical. If you aren’t able to see where your application may have had gaps, we can help you pinpoint where you went awry and what needs to be addressed for Columbia to find a spot for you on campus.

Getting off of the Columbia waitlist is possible. Contact us for your personal strategy.

There are three steps that you need to start immediately to get off of the Columbia waitlist.

Step One: Confirm Your Spot

First, you need to actually join the waitlist for Columbia. Being offered a spot and being actually joining the waitlist are two separate things. Look at your decision from Columbia to see exactly how they want you to confirm that you do, indeed, want to be on the Columbia waitlist — then do it.

Step Two: Commit to a College

Yes, you are going to be working on getting into Columbia off of the waitlist. However, you need to have another plan. Even if you do everything right, the chance of getting off of a waitlist is generally far less than the acceptance rate for any given college. Since Columbia has an acceptance rate under 5%, that means we estimate the waitlist acceptance rate is — at absolute most — around 2%.

That is a horrible acceptance rate to bet on, so don’t. Accept an offer from a college you were accepted by, and ideally one that you would be happy to attend. This is also why a diversified college application strategy is so crucial. You need options. Ideally, you have a few, so pick your favorite.

You will have to put down a deposit as part of committing to another college, and you will lose this deposit if you get into Columbia and decide to go there. That is simply the cost of playing the waitlist game, but make sure that you and your family know that there will be a cost associated with waiting on the Columbia waitlist so that you are all on the same page. 

Once you know you have a college that is excited to welcome you on to campus in the fall, and you’ve locked in your spot, it’s time to work on Columbia.

Step Three: Advocate for Yourself

The final step is to speak up — within some guardrails. Columbia will let you know what they are accepting from waitlist students this year, but in past years they’ve expressed:

“We encourage students to submit an additional one-page statement expressing interest in the waitlist. Additional submissions, including extra letters of recommendation, are discouraged by the Committee on Admissions.”  

If Columbia has gone out of their way to discourage something, that’s a massive red stop sign that you absolutely must heed. Do not send things that they have said they do not want to receive. One of the biggest things they look for in applicants is ability to follow directions. Ignoring the directive to not send a bunch of extras is the equivalent of saying that you are better than the rules and know more than admissions. That would be a horrible taste to leave in the admissions officials’ mouths.  

What Columbia does allow for is that one-page statement. We call this a LOCI, or Letter of Continued Interest.

The LOCI is more than simply saying that you are still interested in Columbia. This letter is a place to update Columbia about what you’ve been up to since you applied and to help them envision a spot for you on campus and ways you would positively contribute to the community. You aren’t making excuses, and you certainly are not begging, but you are making a strong case for why you are Columbia material.

Opening

This is a formal letter, so start it that way. “Dear Columbia Admissions,” is a solid start, or use the name of your regional admissions counselor if you know them. You’re addressing a potential employer, not a friend. Remember that each step of the way.

Introduction

In the first paragraph of the letter, there are a couple of boxes you need to check. First, you need to introduce yourself as a waitlisted student hoping to pursue a particular major or academic trajectory. Follow that with a sentence setting out your intentions for this letter: updating them, reinforcing your interest. Finally, state in no uncertain terms that you will attend if accepted. This is not a binding statement, but it is important. This paragraph doesn’t need to be much more than that. You only have one page, so it’s important to get into the meat of it quickly.

Update

The update is the most important part of this letter. Columbia hasn’t heard from you in a few months, but you’ve been working hard. Pick 1-3 things to highlight. At least one should be academic, and we like updates that pair process with outcomes. For example, maybe your grade in a particular class went up and you completed a big project for that course. Tell them about the grade and the project.

At least one of the other updates should be community-focused. We don’t mean it has to be about community service. This really needs to be something that shows you working in and with a community, whether within a club, in service of your school, on a team, or through community service. Be specific about what you’ve been working on, and it’s totally okay to build upon something that was first laid out in your original application.

The third update may be something that you actually didn’t include in your original application at all. Last year, a student came to us after a waitlist decision from Columbia looking for help. After getting to know her, we learned that something we would have emphasized in her application had been completely omitted (following bad advice from a school counselor). We spent a chunk of the LOCI on telling Columbia about this oversight and the awesome thing she had accomplished. Ultimately, she was accepted by Columbia in part because the activity that had been left out was deemed a meaningful addition.

Closing

Close the letter with a short, 2-4 sentence paragraph that again states your unwavering interest in Columbia and how you will attend if accepted. This is a great place to mention a brief specific (a tradition, course, lab, or professor) about Columbia that you are particularly excited about.  

Sign off with something like “Sincerely,” then edit and submit!

Step Four: Wait

It’s important to send your LOCI fairly quickly after receiving the waitlist decision, but they are unlikely to actually start looking at the waitlist and reading letters like yours until mid-April. They won’t be able to send offers to students on the waitlist until even later, starting in May after previously accepted students have either claimed their seat or decided to go somewhere else. Columbia has been known to accept waitlisted students in a slow trickle that goes well into summer.

Do not reach out to them to check in, and do not show up on campus to show how passionate you are. Wait respectfully, but also keep an eye on your email. Columbia may get in contact if they are seriously considering offering you a spot, but want to reconfirm your interest before extending the offer.

Being on a waitlist can be stressful. After a LOCI, there is nothing you can do except enjoy senior year. And that’s not too bad, right?

If you are waitlisted, confused, and unsure what could change Columbia’s mind, email us for expert help.