Student questions about waitlists

What's a waitlist?

A waitlist is a new feature of on-line registration that lets students access open seats in closed classes. The list doesn't guarantee you a seat, but does let you wait for one to open up. For now, waitlists are available for undergraduate courses only.

How does Waitlisting work?  Currently, when a closed class reopens, you can get into the class if you're lucky enough to register at the moment the seats open up -- but only during your access period. By contrast, Waitlisting will put you in an open seat from a class waitlist, and can do this outside of your access period.

When are waitlists available?  If they've been turned on by the department, lists are active from the start of registration through the fourth class day. After the fourth day, you'll need approval to add a class.

What can I do with waitlists?  You can join up to two lists per course, and can be on up to four at any one time. On a personalized page called See My Waitlists, you can see your place on each list you're on, see system notices and errors, drop from a list at any time, and can choose a swap class to drop from your schedule if added to the waitlist classes.

How do I get the waitlist option?  You have to be registered for at least one class before you'll get the waitlist option. This echoes how many students work now: registering and paying for one class in access period 1, then adding other classes during add/drop period 2.

If I'm not sure I want a class, should I join its waitlist?  Maybe not. By signing up for a waitlist, you've told us you want to add the class. If a seat opens up and you qualify for it, we put you in the class and charge you for it. If you're not sure you want the class, you may not want to join its waitlist.

If I waitlist a class, am I guaranteed a seat?  No. Joining a waitlist doesn't guarantee that you'll be added to the class; it's just a way for you to wait in line for an open seat. If a seat never opens up, you never leave the list. It's up to you to decide if you've waited enough, or if you need to drop from the list and find another class.

How do I get notified about my waitlist classes?  Waitlist notices appear in two places. Check them both regularly.

Notices from a section's department are sent to your current e-mail address on file with the University. Keep this address current, and check it often.

Notices from the Waitlisting system itself are posted to your See My Waitlists page in UT Direct. Check it often, too. We send notices when classes are cancelled, when you've been blocked from the class for various reasons, or when you've been added to the class.

Check your e-mail and your See My Waitlists page regularly.

Why were waitlists created?  Since Registration fills open seats with whomever happens to register at that moment, it can sidestep students from earlier access periods who may have wanted in. A waitlist gives those students the chance to be first in line when a seat opens up.

How Waitlisting's pages work

This page is your home in the Waitlisting system, and is found in UT Direct » Academic Services » UT Registrar Waitlist System. It shows how many lists you're on. Each list shows the date you joined the list, your place, the latest notice sent to you, and your swap class, if you've chosen one.
To choose or change your swap class, click the Change My Swap Class button.
To drop yourself from the list, click Take Me Off List.

How can I get on a list?  When registering for a closed class, students will get the chance to join a waitlist, so long as its department has turned the list on, and the student is registered for at least one class.

Can I get stuck on a list?  Yes, in a number of ways.

By a turned-off list;
By a full or cancelled class;
By a change to restrictions by the department;
By a schedule conflict with time, maximum hours, or duplicate class; or
By various system errors.

How do I get into a class from a list?   During registration, if a registered student drops the class, a student on the waitlist will be added to the class. Nightly, the system fills as many leftover seats as possible.

How do I leave a list?

You can drop yourself, from your See My Waitlists page;
An administrator can drop you, and will notify you by e-mail;
The system can drop you, through a zap or a withdrawal; or
You can make it into the class.

To choose or change your swap class, choose a class from your schedule in the pulldown menu, then click the Change button.
To turn a swap class off, choose None in the pulldown menu, then click Change.

What's a swap class?   This is a class on your schedule that you've chosen to drop if you get in to a waitlisted class. As an example, you might join a waitlist for a closed morning section of a course, enroll in an afternoon section, and choose it as a swap class. If the closed class opens and you get in, the system drops you from the swap class. With a swap class, you keep a seat in the course and get a chance at a better one. Swap classes are chosen when joining a list during registration, or later on the student's See My Waitlists page in UT Direct.

Do I have to choose a swap class?   No. Swap classes are optional.

When do I choose a swap class? When can I change it?   You can choose a swap class when you join a list during registration, or you can choose one later on your See My Waitlists page in UT Direct.