What is the best strategy if I’m waitlisted at both Duke and Tufts?

The biggest practical tradeoff is showing Duke and Tufts that you would genuinely enroll without turning your waitlist file into a stream of low-value updates. At both schools, one concise, specific letter of continued interest plus any truly material accomplishment is more effective than repeated emails. You should also accept an offer and submit the enrollment deposit at a college that admitted you by its deadline, since neither waitlist is a plan you can safely rely on.

First, follow each school’s waitlist instructions in its applicant portal exactly. Confirm that you want to remain on the waitlist, complete any required response form, and use the portal rather than email when the school provides an upload option. Do not send a letter before opting in, and do not ask either admissions office where you are on the list; waitlists are not typically ranked in a way that produces a useful answer.

Your letter should be short, personal, and tailored separately for Duke and Tufts. State clearly that you would accept an offer of admission if that is true. Then give two or three concrete reasons tied to the school: an academic program, course, research area, campus community, or opportunity that fits goals you have already developed. Add only meaningful new information, such as improved grades, a substantial project, a notable award, a leadership development, or a new responsibility. Avoid re-explaining your full application, sending several recommendation letters, or attaching a resume with minor revisions.

For Duke, make the interest case specific to the academic and community experience you would pursue there, rather than relying on prestige or broad statements about its reputation. For Tufts, connect your interest to its interdisciplinary, civic, global, or collaborative culture only where that connection is authentic and supported by a concrete plan. The letters should not be interchangeable; admissions readers can recognize a generic template.

After sending the initial update, reserve further contact for a genuinely significant change. Check both portals and email regularly, including spam folders, because waitlist movement can occur after the national enrollment deadline and sometimes later in the summer.