College decisions are coming out, and tensions are running high. Will they say yes? What if they say no? But no one really thinks about another choice colleges could make, the unspoken third option: the wait list.

For some people, the wait list is a bad omen; a sign of what will never be. This is especially true for those who apply to their dream schools, especially big schools like the Ivys. So many applicants...so little space! How could I possibly make it through?

Well, it isn't impossible, friends. And I'm going to tell you how based off of data I've compiled from different top universities.

Something to Keep In Mind

It's important to know that a place on the waitlist is NOT a rejection. Every college and university receives way more qualified applicants than called for, so they can only admit so many. Being on the wait list thus means you ARE equally qualified; the college only has so much space. It'll take a little bit more elbow grease, but you can make it.

Write a LOCI

A LOCI, or letter of continued interest, is the secret sauce to waitlist admissions. If a person is really dedicated to getting into a college, a LOCI gives college admissions a clue of how dedicated one is on getting into the school and why they should admit that applicant.

Most colleges will accept these from potential applicants only if they are waitlisted or deferred. In fact, they're even encouraged! I know for a fact that Columbia and Johns Hopkins will happily review LOCIs as long as they have space in their admitted classes. As JHU puts it, LOCIs give admissions a feel for why "it is the right school for you", which is exactly what one wants to get across in order to get off the wait-list, so have at it!

Fair warning, though: keep your LOCI no more than one page! It has to be sweet and to the point. The admissions offices of these universities have gone through countless application essays, so any additional supplemental material has to be short and effective in order to be taken seriously at all.

Update your resume

Not as immediately obvious, but it definitely helps!

People often downplay senior year achievements, mostly because colleges won't really be able to see them, anyways. Joining clubs and curing cancer is for grades 9 through 11th, amirite?

But sometimes you do really amazing things your senior year, like win tournaments, take home scholarships, and land a record-deal with a music company. So of course colleges--especially those you're really interested in--want to know! Johns Hopkins, for example, even encourages it.

Anything to make yourself more attractive to admissions, no? Count me in! It definitely doesn't hurt to throw it in, so go for it!

DON'T send in additional writing supplements, art portfolios, or recommendation letters.

According to Johns Hopkins, these items will be discarded, as the admissions offices of these universities only want to see substantially important information that can only be found outside of your original application.

Do send in updated transcripts, though – these may be helpful.

So that's all there is to it! Like I said, a little extra elbow grease and determination will be needed, but if you follow these steps correctly and passionately, you have a good chance of getting off that wait list and into that accepted pile. May the odds be ever in your favor, and best of luck to you! In the end, college admissions are a crap-shoot, so rest assured in the knowledge that anything can happen.

Your ticket in is out there. And you're going to get it!