Stanford University is exceptionally difficult to get into, even for truly outstanding applicants. There is no number of awards, GPA, test scores, or exceptional extracurriculars that make an applicant a shoo-in for Stanford. It’s a stretch for everyone. They delay the release of the most recent admissions statistics, but we do have numbers from 2024. For the Class of 2028, the acceptance rate was only 3.61%.
Somehow, they say that it is even harder to get onto the Stanford waitlist than it is to get into Stanford. They share that only about 1% of applicants are offered a place on the Stanford waitlist. About half that group or so, they say, accepts the offer. The reality is a little different than what Stanford publishes, though. Nearly all of the students offered a spot on the waitlist in recent years have jumped at the chance. For the Fall of 2024, 483 students were waitlisted and 414 agreed to join. Only 25, or 6%, were eventually accepted.
A year earlier, 607 students received a waiting list decision and 506 accepted the offer. That year three times as many students, 75 (or 15%), were accepted. The drop from one year to the next wasn’t because the waitlist was more or less impressive. Rather, it’s all about the pool of already accepted students, and what those accepted students choose to do. Again, you can be exceptional — that doesn’t mean Stanford will work out.
What the numbers for Stanford’s waitlist do show us is how Stanford truly is picky about who they put on their waitlist, and they do use it more actively than many other top schools. How much they can use it, though, is really out of their and your control at this point. It’s a matter of waiting until May. Being on the waitlist isn’t really a list, though, either. The waitlist is not ranked. There is no top and there is no bottom. Instead, it’s a pool. It can be frustrating to know that you can’t get to the top of a list. However, if you can keep your head in the game it is still possible to get in.
Below, we’ll break down the steps you need to take to increase your chances of getting in off of the Stanford waitlist. Be sure to read this whole post before starting, or you may make costly mistakes. For a personalized approach, get in touch.
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There are four steps that you need to be taking to have a chance at getting into Stanford. Again, it’s super important that you read through these steps in full before starting. Skipping ahead will hurt your odds, so ignore the itch to act for a second. Now, let’s get into it.
Step One: Join the Stanford Waitlist
You’ve been offered a spot on the Stanford waiting list, but you aren’t on it yet. In order to join the waitlist, you need to submit the Stanford Waitlist Response Form, or they will not reconsider your application as part of the waitlist process.
The Waitlist Response Form gives you space to provide “brief updates,” and you can only submit this form ONCE. That’s why we want you to take a deep breath.
The Waitlist Response Form is our preferred location to put a succinct letter advocating for yourself. Yes, you can put an update in the “Update Application Form” in the applicant portal. However, that is not our preference. By focusing your updates in the Waitlist Response Form, you focus the admissions officers’ attention. There is actually no guarantee they will read any update sent through the Update Application Form at all, let alone in full. That same issue is in play for the Waitlist Response Form, but there is a much higher chance that they will actually read the update you submit.
Whether or not you have already submitted the form, you’ll learn how to update Stanford in Step Three.
Step Two: Commit to a School
We know you want to go to Stanford, but it’s statistically unlikely that this will actually happen. You need to start making decisions, then, that keep the door open for Stanford but assume that it won’t work out.
The good news is that keeping the door open for Stanford is possible, but it does come with a cost. You will need to pick a school to commit to by May 1, which most often includes submitting a deposit. You will lose that deposit if Stanford extends you an offer and you choose to attend. This is the cost of playing the waitlist game, but make sure that everyone in your family that is financially involved in your college decisions understands this risk and is okay with the possibility of losing the deposit.
Do not decide to apply to college again. Transfer can be a great option — reapplying in less than a year is a losing strategy. If you have questions about why, send us a note.
Step Three: Update Stanford
Ideally, this update will be combined with Step One to put all of your new information for Stanford in one place. However, if you submitted the waitlist response form before reading this post, you still have a chance to remind Stanford how awesome you are. Either way, the update should look the same.
First, though, let’s talk about what you shouldn’t do. Just because Stanford lets you submit an update doesn’t mean that you should bombard them with everything you’ve done since applying, and then some. Stanford Admissions specifically says that they do “not need supplementary materials or additional letters of recommendation.” But they do want to hear about “distinguished academic achievement” and “evidence of sustained commitment and leadership in school and community activities.” Stanford wants to hear about how you have been thriving since you submitted your application, and how you’ve been supporting those around you and in your broader community.
They also like to hear about how you see yourself as a member of the Stanford community. You already described your dreams for Stanford in your application, so you don’t need to repeat yourself. You do, though, need to remind them how much you care about giving back to a community that you hope will offer you a home.
You also need to release the idea of being the most impressive student on the waitlist. Being the most impressive at this point will not get you into Stanford, as most of the impressive students who apply to Stanford are ultimately rejected. The point of this letter isn’t to make them think you are the best student on the planet — rather, it’s about showing how amazing you are as a person. That’s why we emphasize the importance of showing your role in your community.
With all of that clear, here is the format you need to follow:
Opening: This needs to be formal (“Dear Stanford Admissions”) and brief. You don’t need to tell them that you still want to go to Stanford — they know that already. However, write one sentence thanking them for their consideration and introducing your updates.
Updates: The body of this short letter needs to be between one and four new and notable things that have happened since you submitted your application. These don’t need to be awards, but should emphasize and underline how you contribute to your community and have grown in character as you approach graduation.
Close: End the letter with one sentence thanking them, again, for their time and closing with “Sincerely,” or “Respectfully,”.
Edit, Edit again, and submit. Then, move on.
Step Four: Wait
The last step is the most painful: you need to wait. Stanford takes their time with assessing the waitlist after May 1st, and admissions decisions are made by a committee. It is possible that you will have to wait until well into summer to receive a definitive decision from Stanford.
A key piece of the waiting part of this process is keeping your hands in your pockets. Do not contact Stanford admissions. Do not email, do not call, and do not ask for an explanation. Do not show up on campus, either. Doing any of those things makes you a problem, which is the opposite of what you want to be. Stanford specifically states that they only want to hear from you through the waitlist response form and the applicant portal. If you try to go around those rules, it will hurt your chances of eventually getting in.
We will allow for the fact, however, that there are always exceptions to our rules. Contact us to learn if your exception truly is one.
We help exceptional students get off of the waitlist and into a dream school. Email us to learn more.