If you’ve been waitlisted, congratulations! That means that you haven’t been flat-out denied admission. However, the school may ask you if you’re still interested. Whether or not the school asks you this, if you haven’t ruled that school out, let the admissions office know that you still want to be considered.

Colleges have to play a numbers game, and that is really a guessing game. Not everyone who is offered acceptance to a school will enroll in that school. When an accepted applicant declines to enroll, you move up on the waiting list and get closer to being accepted.

This is extremely important: When you let the college know of your continued interest, craft a well-written essay. That means that even in a quick email, every word counts. Don’t write as if you are texting a friend. This email will go into your file and may be the element that ticks you over into the acceptance pool.