ucla waitlist essay reddit

The waitlist at UCLA and other colleges is used to manage new student enrollment. While UCLA aims to enroll the maximum number of students possible, the waitlist provides an opportunity for high-caliber applicants to be considered for admission if space becomes available after the Statement of Intent to Register (SIR) deadline. Being on the waitlist is a measure of academic competitiveness, but it does not guarantee admission. 

Freshman Waitlist

For freshman waitlist applicants, consideration for admission occurs if space becomes available after May 15th. The waitlist is by invitation only, and applicants must opt-in by April 15 th through the  My Application Status  site. To be fair to all applicants, additional materials (including letters of recommendation) cannot be accepted and will not be reviewed if sent. However, there is space provided in the Waitlist Option form to provide updates and additional information. Students on the waitlist are not ranked, and we do not know how many students will accept our waitlist offer. We notify students as early as possible after May 15th, and we will update students throughout the summer.  

Applicants can be on the waitlist for more than one UC campus if offered the option. It is advisable to accept another college's offer before their deadline, as being on the waitlist does not guarantee admission. Changes to the Waitlist Option form can be made until April 15th, after which no further changes will be accepted.

Additional information for waitlisted applicants, including FAQs, can be found through the My Application Status site. 

If admitted off the waitlist, students will be eligible for financial aid if they submitted their application (FAFSA or California DREAM Act) and listed UCLA (school code 001315) as one of the schools on it.

UCLA Class of 2026 Waitlist/Appeal Discussion

I have started a Waitlist/Appeal discussion for UCLA applicants.

Below is some previous years data and information regarding the Waitlist and Appeal process. The Waitlist admits will vary from year to year, so there is no way to gauge your chances of being admitted. Fill out the questionnaire if you would like to opt into the wait list, then move on to your other acceptances. You can submit New grades/Schedule along with New accomplishments for the Waitlist.

2021 data: Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list: 15242 Number accepting a place on the waiting list: 9897 Number of wait-listed students admitted: 214

2020 data: Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list: 14470 Number accepting a place on the waiting list: 9254 Number of wait-listed students admitted: 1779

2019: Number accepting a place on the waiting list: 7153 Number of wait-listed students admitted: 965

Here is a link to the appeal process and you cannot appeal if you are on the Waitlist.

2021 Appeals data: 1,227 appeals received 2 appeals admitted.

Please be aware of what is considered “New and Compelling Information” When we talk about presenting “new” information, we mean information not already presented in the original application (e.g. classes that were not listed as AP or Honors that should have been, additional coursework, etc.) — information that clearly shows the student to be stronger than had been earlier evidenced. High grades received in the senior year, recently acquired awards or additional extracurricular activities are not a basis for the reversal of a decision since decisions are based on academic information that was available at the time of application.

Do UC’s require/suggest an essay of continued interest to accept a spot on the waiting list?

Some UC’s have a waitlist essay where you could indicate your level of interest but it is not a consideration in the original application review.

UCD requires a waitlist essay.

UCLA has a waitlist question and you submit updated grades/schedule and accomplishments.

UCB has a waitlist essay optional where you can express interest.

For the rest of the UC’s, just by opting into the waitlist shows demonstrated interest in the campus.

A post was merged into an existing topic: Class of 2026 UC General Discussion Thread

Does anyone know if TFT College has waitlist?

Thank you for this!

Thank you for this! Any insight on why '2021 Number of wait-listed students admitted: 214 ’ is drastically lower compared to previous years? For those who do get off the waitlist, will 1st major choice guaranteed? Thanks!

2020 data is an outlier due to Covid. 2021 data is low for the majority of UC’s since many applicants took a gap year and then applied so are larger # of applicants and the UC’s allowed some students from 2020 to defer. Not sure if UCLA allowed many deferrals.

UCLA only guarantees to review your 1st choice major.

Got it, thank you!

Hi @Gumbymom . Do you think that immediately accepting the WL offer from UCLA is beneficial, or is OK to wait a week or so? thanks!

It does not matter when you opt into the waitlist. It is not based on first in, first off.

We noticed that it’s possible to accept the spot and then go back sometime before April 15 and add the additional info to the box.

Yes, you can accept the waitlist spot and then go back in and make changes or additions to the information prior to the April 15th deadline which means they will not look at any information until after that date.

Oh, so does this mean we can see where all else she gets in and decide whether UCLA is her first choice before opting into the wait list?

Yes, you have until April 15th to submit your opt in for the UCLA waitlist.

What is the earliest & latest that UCLA will notify waitlisted applicants about acceptance? I saw someone who was notified May 2nd. Is it a rolling admission process? Or will everyone be notified the same time?

The earliest would be after the April 15th opt in date for the waitlist which would be extremely rare. Usually after the May 1 SIR, you can see movement. They will start admitting students based on the # of spots open. Usually they are given 5-7 days to respond. If the spots are not filled, then they make more waitlist admit offers so it is rolling until all spots are filled.

For the latest it could go into well the summer if spots are not filled but highly unlikely.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how competitive is ucla waitlist acceptance.

Hi there, I was wondering if anyone knows about UCLA's waitlist acceptance rate? Like, how many students are typically accepted off the waitlist each year? I want to know what my chances are if I end up on the waitlist. Thanks for any insights you can provide.

UCLA's waitlist acceptance rate can vary slightly from year to year, due to the yield of accepted students and the size of the incoming class desired by the university, but in recent years it's been quite low - around 2%.

If you find yourself on the waitlist, it's crucial to take a proactive, optimistic approach. You can increase your chances by demonstrating continued interest in the school. Writing an impactful Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI) where you emphasize your passion for the school, discuss recent accomplishments or updates in your application, and reaffirm your commitment to attend if admitted can help. You can read more about how to write this letter on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/deferred-or-waitlisted-tips-for-writing-a-letter-of-continued-interest.

Keep in mind, though, that being on the waitlist doesn't guarantee an offer of admission. Make sure not to overlook other colleges you've applied to or have been accepted by, as there's no guarantee that you'll be admitted from the waitlist, and you want to have a solid backup plan in case things don't work out the way you're hoping.

While it's good to stay positive, as you wait, you should also continue exploring other options, and remember that whichever college you end up attending, it's what you make of your undergraduate experience that truly matters. Good luck!

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CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

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