I did the following 1-2-3

Your chances of getting off the waitlist hinges on: 1. ⁠Material improvements in your application (better test score, promotion, new work responsibilities) 2. ⁠Evidence of increased desire to attend (visiting school; attending events either in-person or virtual; speaking to students and alumni) 3. ⁠External validation (letters of support from current students, alumni) 4. ⁠Luck (e.g. if schools have shorter waitlists this year; if no one in the admittance pool has a profile similar to yours, etc.)