Getting waitlisted is not a rejection. But how you respond to it can make the difference between getting off that waitlist or not. The letter of continued interest is one of the few moments in college admissions where a student has full control over what comes next. Here is how to write one that actually works.
Your student got waitlisted. Maybe at their first-choice school, maybe at a school they really wanted. The initial sting fades quickly once you realize the waitlist is not a closed door. Colleges do take students off waitlists, and a well-written letter of continued interest, often called a LOCI, is one of the most powerful tools a student has to improve their chances of being one of them.
I have seen students move off waitlists at highly selective schools after sending thoughtful, specific LOCI letters. I have also seen students send form letters that accomplish nothing. The difference is almost always specificity. The generic letter signals low interest. The specific letter signals real commitment.
What Is a Letter of Continued Interest and Why Does It Matter
A letter of continued interest is a short message you send to the admissions office after being waitlisted, expressing that you still want to attend, that the school is a genuine priority, and ideally providing meaningful updates since you submitted your application.
Most colleges that waitlist students will tell you explicitly whether they accept LOCI letters. Check the waitlist notification email or the admissions portal for instructions. Some schools say ‘respond here to join the waitlist.’ Some have a portal form. Some say you may send a letter to a specific email address. A small number say nothing beyond accepting or declining the waitlist spot. Follow whatever instructions they give you.
The LOCI does two things in the admissions office. First, it signals that if the school offers admission from the waitlist, the student will actually enroll. Yield rate matters enormously to admissions offices. A waitlisted student who communicates strong interest is more likely to contribute to yield if admitted. Second, it gives the admissions reader new information to attach to the file: a student who has grown, achieved more, or committed more clearly since applying.
When to Send the LOCI
Send it within one week of accepting your spot on the waitlist. Do not wait. The weeks immediately after decisions come out are when admissions offices are reviewing their waitlists most actively. Being early and responsive communicates exactly the kind of initiative colleges are trying to identify.
Some students send a second brief update in mid-April if they have genuinely significant new information to share, such as a major award, a state or national competition result, or a significant project completion. A second message is only worth sending if the update is genuinely meaningful. Do not send a second message just to stay visible. That signals anxiety, not strength.
After May 1, waitlist movement often accelerates as schools see their deposit numbers and identify gaps in their incoming class. Decisions from the waitlist typically come in May and June, sometimes as late as July or August for schools filling very specific spots. Your student should commit to a school they love by May 1 regardless of waitlist status.
The Letter of Continued Interest: What to Include
The LOCI should be short. One page maximum, and most are shorter. It is not a second application essay. It is a professional letter that covers three things: strong interest, meaningful updates, and a clear close.
Strong interest means being specific about why this school. Not ‘I love the culture and academics.’ That tells the reader nothing. Specific means: ‘After visiting in February and sitting in on a seminar in the Cognitive Science department, I am even more certain that the interdisciplinary program structure here is where I want to spend the next four years.’ Name a professor, a program, a course, a research lab, a campus tradition. Show that you have done the research.
Meaningful updates means real news. A new achievement, a completed project, a meaningful leadership development, a grade trend that shows continued growth. The update does not have to be dramatic. It has to be real and specific. ‘I completed my AP Research project and it was selected for our school’s research symposium’ is meaningful. ‘I am still working hard’ is not.
A clear close means one sentence confirming that if admitted, your student will enroll. Colleges call this an ‘intention to enroll’ or a ‘commitment statement.’ It carries real weight. Do not be vague about it. ‘If I am offered admission from the waitlist, I will enroll’ is the right close.
What to Leave Out of the LOCI
Do not explain why you were surprised to be waitlisted. Do not include new test scores unless they are significantly higher than what you submitted and genuinely strengthen your profile. Do not attach a new essay. Do not apologize for anything. Do not mention what schools you have been admitted to, unless one of those schools is a highly competitive school and you are writing to a school that uses demonstrated interest heavily and might infer from the comparison that you are a stronger candidate than your file suggested. Even then, be careful with that framing.
Do not call repeatedly or send multiple emails asking for updates. One LOCI, one optional meaningful update if justified, and then patient waiting. Admissions offices are managing hundreds or thousands of waitlisted students simultaneously. Aggressive follow-up does not help.
A Sample LOCI Structure
Opening paragraph: Express that you are writing to confirm your continued strong interest in the school, and that you were glad to accept your spot on the waitlist.
Second paragraph: Provide one or two specific updates since your application was submitted. Be concrete. Numbers, project names, award titles, quantifiable results.
Third paragraph: Reaffirm why this school specifically. Name something you could not name in another letter. A course, a lab, a professor, a specific program element.
Closing sentence: ‘If I am offered admission from the waitlist, I will commit to [School Name] immediately.’
Total length: 250 to 350 words. No more. Short is stronger. A focused, confident letter beats a long, anxious one every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do letters of continued interest actually help?
Yes, in many cases. Colleges that use demonstrated interest as an admissions factor pay attention to LOCI letters. Even schools that claim not to track demonstrated interest will note when a waitlisted student confirms strong intent to enroll, because yield matters to every admissions office. A specific, genuine LOCI letter from a student who provides meaningful updates and clearly wants to attend is read differently than a file with no follow-up.
How long should a letter of continued interest be?
Keep it to 250 to 350 words. One page at most. The LOCI is not a second application essay. It is a focused professional letter that communicates strong interest, provides meaningful updates, and closes with a clear enrollment intention. A shorter, more focused letter reads as more confident and controlled than a long, sprawling one.
What should I update in my letter of continued interest?
Share real news from since you submitted your application: a significant award, a completed project, a leadership role you stepped into, a grade trend showing continued growth, or a meaningful recognition. The update does not have to be dramatic, but it must be specific and genuine. Vague references to continuing to work hard add nothing to the letter.
Should my student commit to another school while on the waitlist?
Yes. Your student should commit to a school they genuinely like by May 1 regardless of waitlist status. Waitlist decisions typically come in May and June, sometimes as late as August. Waiting without committing is a mistake. Once a deposit is made at another school, if an offer comes from the waitlist your student can evaluate it and decide. The deposit at the first school is typically non-refundable, but that is the cost of keeping options open.
Is it worth staying on the waitlist at a school my student is not sure about?
Probably not, if the uncertainty is genuine. Staying on the waitlist communicates continued interest to the admissions office. If your student writes a strong LOCI and then does not enroll if admitted, that affects the school’s yield data and wastes a spot that could go to someone who genuinely wants it. If your student is not sure they would actually choose the school over their committed option, declining the waitlist spot is the cleaner choice.
Tony Le is a former UC Berkeley Admissions Reader and UCLA Outreach Director with 15+ years of college admissions coaching experience. A full-ride scholarship recipient to UCLA, UC Berkeley, and UCI, Tony has helped 500+ students gain admission to top universities including Stanford, Harvard, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Columbia. Featured in the Wall Street Journal. Official TikTok College Admissions Educational Partner. Founder of egelloC.
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