Student Records & Registration

Waitlisting FAQ

General

How Do I

Odds of Getting Seats

Charges

If I... / Can I...

Miscellaneous


General


Do all classes have a waitlist?

If a waitlist is available, an orange triangle icon will appear nest to the section in the Class Schedule. Classes set to consent or permission and those that have co-requisites such as Course Links may not have an available waitlist. Contact the instructor or department office for classes that require permission.


How many classes may I waitlist for?

You can wait list for a maximum of 10 units.


How many classes can I be enrolled and waitlisted for?

You will not be enrolled in a waitlisted class if the enrollment will cause you to exceed the maximum units allowed.

During priority registration, maximum units are 16 unless you are a senior or a postbaccalaureate student, who are allowed 17 units.  During add/drop maximum units for the term are 21 unless you are a graduate student, who are only allowed 18 units.


You may waitlist for a maximum of 10 units.

How will I know when I get enrolled?

If you become enrolled in a class from a wait list, you will be notified by email. It is important that you frequently check your class schedule on your Student Center as you will be responsible for any classes you are enrolled in from a wait list.


How Do I


How do I check my position number for the class I’m waiting for?

You can see your wait list position in your Student Center class schedule. Wait list position numbers begin at number one.

If you waitlist for a class that requires a Related Class at the time of enrollment, your request is subject to waitlist priorities of both of your selections. The Waitlist Position number can only be displayed for the primary section.


How do I drop a class I’m waiting for if I’ve changed my mind?

You may drop yourself from a wait list through your Student Center just as you would drop any other class.


Odds of Getting Seats


What are my chances of getting enrolled from a waitlist?

If a seat becomes available, the student with the lowest wait list position number will be enrolled. You may be skipped over if you:

  • have a time conflict
  • are enrolled in another section of the same class
  • have exceeded the maximum units allowed

Maximum units for the term are 16 unless you are a senior or a postbaccalaureate student, who are allowed 17 units during enrollment appointments and 21 units during add/drop.  You will not be reconsidered until another seat becomes available in the class.


If I’m on a waitlist am I guaranteed to get enrolled?

There is no guarantee you will be moved off a wait list and enrolled in a class. Once the wait list process has run for the final time, instructors are not required to add students from the wait list into available seats. Your position number on the waitlist does NOT guarantee you a seat in the class.


Charges


Will I be charged for class(es) that I am waiting for?

You will not be billed for waitlisted classes, but you will be billed if moved from a wait list into a class and the additional units result in higher registration fees.


If I... / Can I…


If I have a registration hold can I still waitlist for classes?

A registration hold will prevent you from getting on a wait list. Check your holds in the Portal on your Student Center before attempting to register or waitlist for classes.


If I haven’t met all the requisites for a class can I still waitlist for the class?

You must meet all requisites for the class before you can be placed on the wait list (e.g. pre-requisites, class level restrictions, etc.)

If your department overrides the pre-requisites to put you on a waitlist, you will not get enrolled until your pre-requisites are met and your academic record is updated.


If I lose my classes because of non-payment, will I get the classes for which I have waitlisted?

If you lose your classes due to non-payment, both enrolled and waitlisted classes will be removed from your schedule.


Can I waitlist for a class that meets at the same time as a class I’m currently enrolled in?

You will not be enrolled in a waitlisted class if there is a time conflict with an already enrolled class. You should ensure the wait listed classes do not conflict with your enrolled schedule.

You may choose to swap the enrolled class for the class with a waitlist.  You will only be dropped from the enrolled class when you are successfully enrolled from the waitlist.  Swap cannot be used if the enrolled and the waitlisted class have a Related Class in common, such as labs that share a common lecture.


Can I waitlist for a different section of a class for which I am already enrolled?

Use swap to select a class you are enrolled in that should be dropped only if you are successfully enrolled from the wait list.

Swap cannot be used if the class you are enrolled in and the waitlisted class have a Related Class in common, such as labs that share a common lecture.  You cannot typically enroll in multiple sections of the same class.


Can I waitlist in more than one section of the same class?

Yes, you can waitlist for multiple sections of the same class.  Once you have been enrolled in one section of a class, you will be removed from the waitlists for all other sections of that class.

If you are already enrolled in one section of a class, but prefer another section you may choose to swap the enrolled section for the waitlisted section.  You will only be dropped once successfully enrolled from the wait list.

You cannot waitlist for or swap into classes that have a Related Class in common, such as labs that share a common lecture.


Miscellaneous


What happens if I get enrolled from the waitlist and change my mind about the class?

If you are enrolled into a class from the wait list, it is your responsibility to drop the class should you decide not to attend. Failure to do so will result in a grade of ‘WU’ which will lower your grade point average.


I was first on the waitlist and a seat was available but I didn't get enrolled. What happened?

  • You may have a time conflict between the waitlisted class and an enrolled class.
  • You may be enrolled in a different section of the same class for which you are waitlisted.
  • You may already be enrolled in the maximum units allowed. Maximum units for the term are 16 unless you are a senior or a postbaccalaureate student, who are allowed 17 units during enrollment appointments and 21 units during add/drop.

How often does the system check for open seats in waitlisted classes?

When a student drops from a class that has a waitlist the class will remain closed until there are no students on the waitlist. The process that enrolls students from the waitlist will be run at least once per day and more often during the add/drop registration period.


Is there a limit to the number of students that can waitlist for a class?

Once the wait list capacity for a class is full you will not be able to add onto the wait list.


Why can I see seats available in a class but not add the class?

If students drop or are dropped from a class and seats become available, the open seats will not be available to students who are not on the wait list. If there are no students on the wait list you may add directly into the class.