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Getting mail from your first choice college can be a nerve wracking experience. You open it hoping to find out that you’ve been accepted, and anxious over the thought that you may have been rejected. If one of these two happens, your path is pretty clear. But what about the third possibility? What do you do if you get waitlisted?

Being put on the waitlist leaves you feeling in limbo, not sure what to do next. So here are a few concrete steps that you can take, and some important considerations that you should keep in mind.

Make your intentions known!

The first thing you should do is to send a letter of interest to the admissions office. You want to let them know that they are your first choice, and that you would accept an offer if it were made. You want to demonstrate a continued interest in the college even though you didn’t get an acceptance. If you feel that this college is the absolute best fit for you, and you wouldn’t truly be happy anywhere else, then you want to let them know that you would immediately accept an offer if you came off the waitlist.

In the letter, you should also update the college on anything that may have happened between the time that you sent the application in and now. Have you won any awards, or participated in any work or volunteer experiences? Let them know about these. Let them know about anything that might make you a more attractive candidate.

Set up an interview with the college

If you haven’t yet interviewed at the college, see if you can set one up. Face to face interviews are a great way to make your case, and personal connections with admissions officers are always good. In person, you can let them see exactly how committed you are to their school. If an on-campus interview is difficult to coordinate, you can see if they would be willing to do a skype or phone interview. If you do get an interview, make sure to prepare for it. Make sure that you put your best foot forward.

There are many things that you can do if you find yourself on the waitlist. However, it’s important to remember that it may not make a difference – and even if you do get a spot, you may not find out right away. Movement on the waitlist requires that other students turn down acceptance offers. For highly competitive schools, the chances of this may not be very good. In addition, students who get in from the waitlist are rarely offered strong financial aid packages. So, while you should certainly try to get off the waitlist for your favorite school, you also need to keep your other options in mind.

Take a hard look at your other acceptances. Is there another school in that set which is also a solid fit, even if it isn’t as perfect as your first choice? Go back and visit, and see if you can imagine yourself living there. Don’t forget that transferring is also an option that is available to you. Accept one of your other offers, then apply for a transfer to your preferred school. Work very hard during your first semester – a strong transcript of college courses is the most important element of a transfer application.

Getting waitlisted can be extremely anxiety producing. Hopefully these steps can give you a concrete plan for how to move forward from this point.