Can you believe it? MIT’s finance program starts in July, but they were still pulling from the waitlist in June!
A CheersYou（清柚教育） student just received a waitlist admission offer!
This year, US universities not only have to worry about government funding cuts but also grapple with international student enrollment rates.
Not even halfway into 2025, the US government’s repeated flip-flopping policies have gradually disillusioned prospective international students, and even those with offers in hand are starting to think twice.
Consequently, the 25Fall application season has turned into a massive waitlist fishing expedition: admission thresholds lowered, application processes simplified, and waitlist offers and deadline extensions have become commonplace.
Waitlist Fishing in 25Fall: A Different Story This Year
Waitlist Offers More Dramatic Than Direct Admits
Although PhD programs have been significantly cut back due to funding reductions, undergraduate and master’s programs noticeably ramped up admissions efforts in the latter half of the 25Fall cycle.
The variety of waitlist admission scenarios this year shows just how “desperate” US universities are for students.
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NYU previously admitted too many undergrads, causing many enrollees to be deferred to 26Spring. Then, with 25Fall enrollment down, those deferred to 26Spring were deferred back to this year.
Source: NYU email
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MIT’s business school started on July 1, but by mid-June they still hadn’t filled all seats and began sending offers to waitlisted students.
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UPenn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science sent love letters and then turned around waitlisted candidates within two days.
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UChicago’s Division of Social Sciences not only admitted students from the waitlist but also offered scholarships—a truly sincere move.
Source: online
Deadlines Extended: Universities Courting Students
In the past, when demand was high, US universities would close applications right on time, or even early, once seats were filled.
If an international student missed a deadline or forgot to submit a document, they’d have to humbly email and call, begging the dream school for an exception.
Even for students already admitted, if they wanted to delay the deposit to have more time to decide, US schools showed no mercy: if you didn’t come, plenty of others would.
This year, however, many programs have repeatedly postponed application, payment, or acceptance deadlines, showing genuine flexibility.
Cornell SC Johnson College of Business extended application deadline
NYU SPS extended deposit deadline
JHU Whiting School of Engineering extended acceptance deadline
“Hey, are you still there? Are you still interested in our program? It’s okay if you missed the deadline; we’ll extend it for you to make it easier to submit your application.”
Email from a US university
This wave of reverse courtship from US universities has left many 25Fall applicants stunned.
Simplified Processes, Lowered Bar: Apply Now
To attract more students this 25Fall cycle, US universities have also been lightening the load on their application processes and admission requirements.
No GRE/GMAT requirement remains a common standardized test policy for many programs this year.
Source: Columbia
Northwestern’s IMC program drastically cut its essay requirement this year, from a 3,000-word prompt to a 1,000-word regular essay.
Northwestern IMC 25Fall requirements
Northwestern IMC 24Fall requirements
NYU’s School of Professional Studies also optimized its recommendation letter requirement this year, allowing just one letter.
NYU SPS 25Fall requirements
US university admissions were already a case of “some drowning, others parched,” and with this year’s unstable climate, new 25Fall programs have been barely surviving.
For instance, a newly launched program at Notre Dame initially claimed they “cannot issue visas,” clearly unwilling to recruit international students. But soon after, they quietly added a “International Students” section, suggesting they apply promptly.
Source: Notre Dame
The University of Rochester’s new AI master’s program prominently highlighted “No coding experience” in bold, as if afraid students would think it’s too difficult and not apply because it’s AI-related.
Source: UR
It just goes to show that US admissions offices have KPIs too—everyone is under pressure.
Snapping Up Top Schools: Your Application Still Needs to Shine
This year, many applicants have already shifted their focus to the UK, Hong Kong, and Singapore, causing application numbers there to surge and admission difficulty to increase.
Applicants are either being rejected outright in early rounds, or they’ve added the US as a backup and gotten results there, while still waiting on outcomes from the UK/HK/Singapore with no response.
Source: rednote
Competition for UK/HK/Singapore is expected to be even fiercer next year. HKU has already moved its 26Fall early round up by more than a month, clearly confident in their anticipated applicant pool.
Source: HKU
Given this application landscape, 26Fall could be a golden period to snap up educational resources in the US!
However, keep in mind: US universities aren’t lacking students; they’re lacking the right students. As the top destination country, the US still hosted over 500,000 international students pursuing master’s, doctoral, or professional degrees last year.
Source: Institute of International Education
To bargain-hunt at top schools, your own qualifications still need to meet the mark. The dream of “getting into Harvard with a 2.5 GPA” is one you’d better not entertain.
US universities have always focused on a student’s overall profile. Beyond GPA, you need to put in effort across essays, resume, recommendation letters, interviews, and meet the specific requirements of each program.
With the 26Fall application cycle approaching, the timeless “winning formula” remains: plan early, apply early, and secure offers early.
CheersYou（清柚教育） wishes all students a proactive preparation and a successful admission to your dream school!
