What to do as a Waitlisted Applicant

[AnxiousGradStudent01]

Let's just say your cycle is over, and you're waiting on 2 waitlisted programs (with all the rest being rejections). Is there anything else you can do before then or do you just sit and wait essentially? 

Also, what can you do now to start planning again for next year? Is it worth it to apply to any of the same programs or would I need to look at different options?

[PoliticalScience_Msta]

Hopefully you get into one of your 2 waitlisted programs. The fact that you even made the waitlists means you had a very competitive application. Especially for your two programs. For many schools, it seems like the number of applicants has been trending upwards and the number of available slots trending downwards, making your wait list a bigger accomplishment than you probably realize. Applying again next year is an option. But hopefully it won't come to that.  You can also try calling the DGS and getting their impressions on your chances of getting in. Not sure how much they can reveal, but it's worth a shot.

From what I can tell (based on my limited understanding of the wait list process), it is just a matter of waiting for admitted students to decide whether they will enroll or not. If anybody understands this process better, please offer some thoughts.

Good luck