Letter of Continued Interest Template: How to Get Off the College Waitlist

A practical guide for students and parents navigating waitlist season at top U.S. colleges.

Getting waitlisted stings. You put months into your application, wrote and rewrote essays, asked teachers for recommendations, hit submit, and then... limbo. Not rejected, but not accepted either. If that is where you are right now, take a breath. You are not alone, and this is far from over.

Every year, thousands of students land on waitlists at schools they really want to attend. And every year, a meaningful number of those students get admitted. The difference between students who sit and wait and students who actually get off the waitlist often comes down to one thing: a well-written Letter of Continued Interest (LOCI).

This guide walks you through everything you need to know: what a LOCI is, when and how to write one, a fill-in template you can customize today, real waitlist acceptance rates at 15 top schools (including every Ivy League university), common mistakes that hurt your chances, and specific advice for parents and international students. Whether you are a student staring at a waitlist notification or a parent trying to figure out how to help, this page has you covered.

You Got Waitlisted. Here Is What That Actually Means.

A waitlist is not a soft rejection. It means the admissions committee reviewed your application, thought you were a strong candidate, and simply ran out of room in the admitted class. You made it past the rejection pile. That counts for something.

Here is how it works in practice: colleges admit more students than they have seats for because not everyone who gets accepted will enroll. The percentage of admitted students who actually show up is called the yield rate. When yield comes in lower than expected (fewer students say yes), the admissions office turns to the waitlist to fill remaining spots. When yield is higher than expected, the waitlist barely moves at all. That is why waitlist numbers swing so dramatically from year to year.

Waitlisted vs. Deferred: Know the Difference

These two outcomes get confused constantly, but they work differently. If you applied Early Action or Early Decision and got deferred, your application moves into the Regular Decision pool for another review. You are back in the running with the larger applicant group. If you were waitlisted, that usually happens after Regular Decision. The class is tentatively full, and you are on standby in case spots open up. Both situations call for a Letter of Continued Interest, but the timing and tone differ. A deferred LOCI typically goes out in January or February with mid-year updates. A waitlisted LOCI goes out in late March through May, focusing on new achievements and a strong case for why this school is your top choice.

What Is a Letter of Continued Interest?

A Letter of Continued Interest is a short, focused message you send to a college's admissions office after being deferred or waitlisted. Its purpose is simple: tell the school you still want to attend, and give them new reasons to admit you. Think of it as a second impression. Your original application already established your profile. The LOCI adds to it.

The format is usually an email or a submission through the school's applicant portal. Some schools provide a specific form or text box for updates. Others invite you to email your regional admissions officer directly. A few schools explicitly say they do not want additional materials. Always check the school's waitlist instructions before sending anything. If the school says not to send a letter, respect that. If you are unsure, a quick email to the admissions office asking whether they accept updates is perfectly fine.

For schools that do track demonstrated interest, sending a LOCI can carry extra weight. Even at highly selective schools that say they do not consider demonstrated interest in their overall admissions process, a compelling update with new information gives the admissions committee a reason to revisit your file when seats open up.

Waitlist Acceptance Rates at Top U.S. Colleges

Before you decide whether to stay on a waitlist, it helps to understand the numbers. The table below shows the most recently available waitlist data for 15 competitive schools, based on Common Data Set reports and institutional disclosures. Most figures reflect the Class of 2028 (2024-2025 admissions cycle).

Sources: Common Data Set 2024-2025 reports via IvyWise, College Transitions, AdmissionSight, and institutional disclosures. Data reflects Class of 2028 unless otherwise noted.

* Harvard does not publish the total number of students offered or accepting waitlist spots. 41 students were admitted from the waitlist for the Class of 2028.

** Notre Dame admitted 42.3% of waitlisted applicants during the pandemic year (Class of 2024) but typically falls in the low single digits.

*** UC Berkeley has historically pulled heavily from the waitlist (averaging ~25% in some periods), though this dropped significantly in recent years.

What These Numbers Actually Tell You

A few patterns stand out. Schools with extremely high yield rates, like Harvard (83.6% for Class of 2028) and Yale, have the least waitlist movement because almost everyone who gets in decides to attend. Fewer students decline, so fewer spots open. At the other end, public flagships like UC Berkeley and UNC Chapel Hill tend to pull more from the waitlist in certain years because their yield is harder to predict across a much larger applicant pool.

The most important takeaway is that these numbers change every single year. UPenn admitted 391 students off its waitlist for the Class of 2024 and just 40 for the Class of 2027. Duke took 381 one year and roughly 50 another. So do not treat any single year's data as a prediction. The real question is whether you want this school badly enough to try. If the answer is yes, a LOCI is your best shot at improving your odds, whatever those odds happen to be.

How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest: Step by Step

How Long Should a Letter of Continued Interest Be?

Keep it between 300 and 500 words. That is roughly one page, single-spaced. Admissions officers during waitlist season are reading hundreds (sometimes thousands) of these letters while also managing enrollment logistics. A tight, well-organized letter shows you respect their time and can communicate clearly. Going over 500 words risks your letter being skimmed rather than read.

The Paragraph-by-Paragraph Breakdown

Paragraph 1: Gratitude and intent. Thank the admissions office for the continued consideration. State clearly that this school remains your top choice (but only say this if it is true; admissions officers talk to each other). If you would 100% attend if admitted, say so directly.

Paragraph 2: New information. This is the most important part of your letter. Share updates that were not part of your original application: improved grades from the current semester, new awards or honors, a project you started or completed, a leadership role you took on, or a meaningful experience that shaped your thinking. Specifics matter here. "I won an award" is weak. "I received second place in the Regional Science Olympiad for my research on microplastic filtration" is strong.

Paragraph 3: Why this school, specifically.Add 2 to 3 "why us" points that you did not include in your original application. Maybe you visited campus since applying, attended an admitted students event, spoke with a current student or professor, or discovered a specific program or research group that aligns with your goals. The more specific, the better. Generic flattery ("Your school has an amazing reputation") does nothing.

Paragraph 4: Brief, warm close. Thank them again. Offer to provide any additional information they might find helpful. Sign off professionally.

Getting the Tone Right

The best LOCIs sound confident without being pushy, grateful without being obsequious, and specific without reading like a resume dump. You are making a case, not begging. Imagine you are writing to someone who already likes you and just needs a small nudge to say yes. That is the energy you want. And if you are using any AI tools to help you draft, make sure the final letter sounds like you. Admissions offices are increasingly alert to AI-generated writing (here is how schools are handling AI detection in 2026), so your voice needs to come through clearly.

Get expert feedback on your Letter of Continued Interest

Unive's admissions-trained AI reviews your LOCI for tone, structure, and persuasiveness, then gives you specific suggestions to strengthen every paragraph.

Try Unive.ai

Letter of Continued Interest Template (Copy and Customize)

Below is a fill-in template you can adapt to your situation. Replace everything in brackets with your own details. Remember: the goal is not to copy a template word-for-word. Use this as a structural guide, then rewrite it in your own voice.

Subject: Continued Interest in [School Name] - [Your Full Name]

Dear [Admissions Officer Name or Admissions Committee], Thank you for the opportunity to remain on [School Name]'s waitlist. I want to reaffirm that [School Name] is my first choice, and I would absolutely enroll if offered admission. I am writing to share a few updates since I submitted my application. Since applying, I have [describe 1 to 3 specific new accomplishments: improved grades, awards, new projects, leadership roles, or meaningful experiences]. [Include a brief, specific detail about each one rather than just listing them.] My enthusiasm for [School Name] has only grown. [Include 2 to 3 specific, new "why this school" details you did not mention in your original application: a campus visit, a conversation with a student or professor, a specific program, lab, club, or initiative that excites you]. These experiences confirmed that [School Name]'s [specific quality] aligns closely with my goals in [your field or interest area]. Thank you again for reconsidering my application. I am happy to provide any additional information that would be helpful. I look forward to hearing from the admissions office. Sincerely, [Your Full Name] [Your High School] [Your Contact Email]

Annotated Sample: What a Strong LOCI Looks Like

Here is an example of what a polished LOCI might look like in practice. This is a fictional, illustrative sample.

Dear Dean Martinez,

Thank you for keeping my application under consideration. I want you to know that UPenn remains my absolute first choice, and I would enroll immediately if admitted. I wanted to share a few developments from the past two months.

Since submitting my application, I completed a research internship at the Philadelphia Biotech Institute, where I assisted a team studying CRISPR applications in sickle cell treatment. The experience deepened my commitment to biomedical engineering and gave me hands-on exposure to the kind of interdisciplinary work I hope to continue at Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science. I also placed first in the state DECA competition in the Biotechnology category and was elected president of our school's Science Honor Society.

When I visited campus in February, I sat in on Professor Bhatt's BME seminar on neural interfaces, and the questions students were asking blew me away. I also spoke with two members of PennSEM, the student entrepreneurship group, about their medical device prototype accelerator. That conversation confirmed what I have felt since I first researched Penn: the intersection of engineering, medicine, and entrepreneurship here is unlike anything I have found at other schools.

Thank you again for your time. Please do not hesitate to reach out if I can provide anything else.

Sincerely,

Alex Navarro

What makes this work: The letter is under 300 words. It opens with a clear first-choice declaration. The second paragraph shares concrete, new information (a research internship, a competition win, and a new leadership role) with enough detail to be credible. The third paragraph offers campus-visit specifics and names a professor, a course, and a student organization. None of these details appeared in the original application. It closes without desperation.

7 Mistakes That Will Sink Your LOCI

Waitlist season makes people anxious, and anxiety leads to mistakes. Here are the most common ones, and what to do instead.

• 1. Repeating your original application. Admissions officers already have your file. Rehashing the same activities and achievements tells them nothing new. Stick to updates from after you submitted.
• 2. Being vague."I really love your school and would be honored to attend" is filler. Name the specific program, professor, lab, or community feature that draws you in. If you cannot name anything specific, you have not done enough research.
• 3. Exaggerating or fabricating accomplishments. Admissions officers can verify claims. If you say you published a research paper, they might Google it. Keep everything honest and verifiable.
• 4. Writing too much. Anything over 500 words risks being skimmed or, worse, annoying a reader who is managing thousands of updates. Brevity is a sign of respect and good writing.
• 5. Sounding desperate or entitled."I will be devastated if I do not get in" puts emotional pressure on the reader. So does "I deserve a spot because of my achievements." Neither works. Aim for warmth and confidence.
• 6. Having a parent write or send the letter.This is the student's letter. If an admissions officer receives a LOCI clearly written by a parent (or worse, a parent calling the office to lobby on their child's behalf), it signals a lack of independence. Parents should proofread and advise, not author.
• 7. Ignoring the school's instructions.If the waitlist letter says "do not send additional materials," do not send additional materials. If it says to use a specific portal, use that portal. Following directions is part of the evaluation.

What to Do After You Send Your LOCI

The Waitlist Timeline

Most waitlist activity happens between late April and mid-June. Some schools continue pulling from the waitlist into July or even August, though that is less common. Meanwhile, the National College Decision deadline (May 1) still applies to you. You must submit your enrollment deposit at another school by May 1, even if you are waiting on a waitlist decision. Paying the deposit does not remove you from any waitlists. If you later get off a waitlist at your preferred school, you can withdraw from the school where you deposited. You will lose that deposit (usually $200 to $500), but that is a small price for attending your top choice.

Should You Follow Up Again?

In most cases, one LOCI is enough. Do not email weekly check-ins. That crosses the line from interested to irritating. The exception: if something truly significant happens after you send your LOCI (a major award, a dramatic grade improvement, admission to a competitive summer program), a brief, one-paragraph update is appropriate. But ask yourself whether the update would change how an admissions committee sees you. If it would not, save the email.

When to Let Go and Commit

If June arrives with no movement, it is time to invest fully in the school where you deposited. Start attending orientation events. Join the class group chats. Look into housing. Read up on professors in your intended major. The school that admitted you saw something valuable in your application, and the students who end up happiest in college are often the ones who commit wholeheartedly once the decision is made. Letting go of one school does not mean you are settling. It means you are choosing to be excited about what comes next.

Tips for International Students on the Waitlist

If you are applying from outside the United States, being waitlisted introduces a few extra complications beyond what domestic students face.

Financial aid can shift. Some schools that are need-blind for first-round applicants become need-aware when reviewing waitlisted students. That means your financial need could factor into whether you are admitted off the waitlist, even at schools that normally promise to meet 100% of demonstrated need. If a school asks about your financial situation in their waitlist correspondence, answer directly. If your family can pay without aid, saying so may help your case. This is uncomfortable but real.

Visa timelines add pressure.Getting admitted off a waitlist in June or July leaves very little time to obtain your I-20 document, apply for a student visa, and arrange housing and travel before the fall semester starts. If you are an international student staying on a U.S. waitlist, have your backup school's visa paperwork already in motion. You can always cancel it if something changes.

Adapt your LOCI.International students should go beyond generic prestige when explaining why they want to study in the U.S. and at this particular school. Mention how the school's specific resources, such as research facilities, partnerships with local institutions, or a particular academic approach, connect to your goals in ways that are not available in your home country. The Unive AI university selection guide can help you identify those differentiators if you are not sure where to start.

Need to apply to backup schools fast?

If your waitlist situation leaves you scrambling, Unive helps you build a strong application to new schools quickly, from essay drafts to activity profiles, all in one place.

Try Unive.ai

A Note for Parents: How to Help Without Taking Over

If your child just got waitlisted, your instincts probably fall into one of two camps: fix it immediately, or tell them it will all work out. Both impulses are understandable, and neither is quite right on its own.

Emotional support during waitlist limbo

Start by letting them feel the disappointment. Saying "everything happens for a reason" or "this school does not deserve you" tends to minimize what they are experiencing. A better approach: acknowledge that being waitlisted is frustrating, and remind them that it is not a reflection of their worth. Then help them see that they have options and agency. The LOCI process itself can be empowering because it puts them back in the driver's seat.

Practical steps you can take

Help your student research the school's specific waitlist instructions. Proofread the LOCI (but resist the urge to rewrite it in your own voice). Keep track of deadlines: the May 1 enrollment deposit at their backup school, housing forms, orientation signups, and financial aid comparison documents. If your family's financial situation has changed since applying, encourage your student to communicate this to the financial aid office directly. That conversation should come from the student, not from you.

One more thing: if your student decides they are done with the waitlist and ready to commit to another school, support that decision without second-guessing. The worst thing a parent can do during this phase is keep the waitlist hope alive after their child has moved on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I send a LOCI if the school said not to contact them?

No. If the school's waitlist letter says they do not want additional correspondence, respect that. Sending one anyway signals that you do not follow instructions.

Should my school counselor call the admissions office?

Only if your counselor has an existing relationship with that school's admissions representative. A cold call from a counselor who has never interacted with the school is unlikely to help and may come across as pushy.

Can I stay on multiple waitlists at the same time?

Yes. You can accept a spot on as many waitlists as you want while depositing at one school. If you are admitted off a waitlist later, you withdraw from the school you deposited at (forfeiting that deposit).

Will I get financial aid if I am admitted off the waitlist?

It depends on the school. Some schools guarantee the same financial aid package to waitlist admits. Others have limited funds remaining by that point in the cycle. Ask the financial aid office directly if this is a concern for your family.

How long should a letter of continued interest be?

300 to 500 words. One page maximum. Shorter is almost always better as long as you cover the key points: gratitude, new information, specific reasons this school is your top choice, and a professional close.

Is it okay to email my regional admissions officer directly?

If that person signed your waitlist letter or is the contact listed in your portal, yes. If you are unsure who to reach, call or email the general admissions office and ask where to direct your update.

Does demonstrated interest affect waitlist decisions?

At schools that track demonstrated interest, it can. At Ivy League schools and other highly selective institutions, demonstrated interest typically carries less formal weight. But a strong LOCI is valuable everywhere because it gives the committee fresh, compelling information to add to your file.

What if I have already committed to another school but then get off a waitlist?

You can accept the waitlist offer and withdraw from your current commitment. You will lose your enrollment deposit, but that is standard. Make sure to notify the school you are leaving as soon as possible so another student can take your spot.

Find grants and scholarships you qualify for

Unive matches you with scholarships and grants based on your profile and helps you build strong applications, including essays, in minutes.

Try Unive.ai

Being on a waitlist is one of the more stressful parts of the college process. But it is also a moment where a single well-crafted letter can change your outcome. Take the time to write something real. Be specific. Be honest. And whatever happens, know that the school where you end up will be lucky to have you.

If you want a second set of eyes on your LOCI before you send it, Unive's AI essay editor is built specifically for college admissions writing. It can help you tighten your tone, flag weak spots, and make sure every paragraph is doing its job. For a broader look at how AI tools can support your entire application process, check out our guide to the best AI tools for college applications.