Q: I've just been waitlisted by my first-choice college. Or, as they put it, they are "offering" me a "spot" on the waiting list. Does this really mean anything, or is it just another way of their saying "no"?

A: Many students report that they would actually prefer to be told "no" straight out than to have the possibility of a "maybe" dangled in front of them. And that's what being on a waitlist is -- it's a maybe. Many colleges maintain waiting lists when they are unsure of how many accepted students will actually enroll. They know that the chance of every admitted student paying the enrollment deposit and showing up for classes in August is zero. That's why colleges always accept more students than the number in the freshman class.

Depending upon what has happened in previous years, they can predict how many students will enroll. For instance, if a college plans on a freshman class of 1000, and they have been getting an enrollment rate (or "yield") of 50%, they can safely admit around 2000 students. If for some reason this year the enrollment rate is only 45%, they will have 900 enrolling. Where will the 100 students come from who will fill the rest of the freshman class? From the waitlist.

Once a college accepts a certain number of freshman applicants, it has to stop because if it takes too many, and the yield rate is higher than anticipated, there won't be enough dorm space or other facilities. Applicants who are strong, but who simply cannot be added to the roster of admitted students, are put on a waiting list. What happens next is not always predictable. Since a college's yield rate is not always the same every year, one year they may be able to take 50 or 60 students from the waitlist, and the next year take none. The college won't know if any spaces might develop until a few weeks past the May 1 enrollment deadline.What can you do? First, you MUST enroll at a college that has accepted you, because that is a sure thing, while the waitlist is only a possibility.

But if you are truly interested -- you mentioned that this school was your first choice -- then you need to be proactive and lobby on your own behalf. Respond to the waitlist offer and let the school know that yes, you DO wish to be kept on an active waitlist. Surprisingly, about half of the applicants offered waitlist status never respond at all. In answering, you have already called attention to yourself.

Follow up at the end of April with a letter to the admissions office, restating your interest and explaining why you think you are a good "fit" for the school. Ask your high school counselor to support you with another note or with a phone call. If you have met an admissions representative during the year, or if there is one your counselor knows, send an e-mail. Don't stalk them of course, but give them enough information to see that your interest is strong and genuine.

As with everything else in the world of college admissions, there are no guarantees.