Waitlist FAQs

1. Will there be any limit on the number of students that can be added to a particular Waitlist?

Baylor sets an unlimited capacity to section Waitlists so that the University can accurately gauge the full demand for individual courses.

2. Will time conflicts with other registered or Waitlist classes be allowed?

While time conflicts are not allowed on a student’s schedule, the student can choose to be on a Waitlist even if the Waitlisted class has a time conflict with another class on the schedule. When the student is notified of an opening, the student will have to decide which class to take. If the Waitlisted class is preferred, the student must drop the currently enrolled class before adding the Waitlisted class.

3. Are students allowed to Waitlist a course that they are either enrolled or Waitlisted for?

A student may not Waitlist for multiple sections of a course or Waitlist for a section when they are already registered for another section of the same course.

4. Are any students excluded from using a Waitlist?

No student groups will be excluded from a Waitlist.

5. How will a student know if a section has a Waitlist?

Waitlist information is available on the Schedule of Classes in the Students Waitlist column. It is also available in the Look-Up Classes pages in BearWeb. Waitlisted sections have a red WL to the left of the CRN and the WL Actual field displays the number of students currently on the Waitlist.

6. Will students be able to see where they are on a Waitlist?

Students will be able to view their position on a Waitlist in BearWeb by viewing their Student Detail Schedule.

7. Are students added into Waitlisted courses automatically?

No. The student will receive an email notification once a seat comes open and will have the option to register into the class. If the student does not complete the registration process within 24 hours, they will be removed from the Waitlist and the next student on the list will be notified via email.

8. When does Waitlisting open?

The Waitlist will become available via BearWeb once the class is closed.

9. Is the student guaranteed a seat if they get on a Waitlist?

No. Waitlisting does not guarantee a seat in the class. Students should check their Waitlist position regularly. If they are not moving up on the Waitlist, they may want to consider alternate classes to register for.

10. How are students notified when a seat becomes available on a Waitlisted class?

The student will automatically receive an email notifying them the class has a seat available. The student will then have 24 hours from the time the seat opened to register into that class. If the student does not register into the class by the deadline, they will be removed from the Waitlist and the next student in line will be notified of the available seat. This is the only notification the student will receive.

11. Which email address will the student receive the notification?

Waitlist notifications will be sent to the student’s Baylor email address. It is the student’s responsibility to check their email.

12. What happens if a student drops a class that has an active Waitlist?

If a student drops a class which has an active Waitlist, they cannot re-enroll into the class. They must add themselves on the Waitlist or enroll in a different section that does not have a Waitlist.

13. Is there a maximum number of hours a student can Waitlist?

No. There is no maximum for the number of Waitlisted hours for a student.

14. Is a student left on the Waitlist if they don't register within the 24 hours?

No. After the 24 hours has ended, they are dropped off the Waitlist. The student can get back on the Waitlist if the student wishes to do so.

15. Are Waitlisted classes counted toward the student's credit hours?

No. Waitlisted classes do not count into the student credit hours.

16. Do registration restrictions prevent a student from getting on the Waitlist for a Waitlisted class?

Yes, all registration restrictions (pre-requisites, minimum test score, departmental approval, etc.) apply to Waitlist.

17. What happens if the student misses the 24 hour timeline and still wants the class?

The student will be dropped from the waitlist, but can add himself or herself back on the end of the waitlist.

18. What happens if the student is placed on Academic Suspension?

If a student is scholastically dropped, all classes including any classes on the waitlist will be dropped.

19. Will the Waitlist continue during University Holidays (e.g. Christmas, Easter, etc.)?

Yes. Once the Waitlist is active for a given term it will remain open (even during holidays) until the last day to add a class for that semester through BearWeb. Students who are on a Waitlist should check their Baylor email account throughout the holidays in case a notification is sent that a seat has opened. Once a notification has been sent, students have twenty-four hours to act on a notification.

20. What should students do if they try to add a Waitlisted class that they received an e-mail notification about, they receive a fatal error (e.g. Time Conflict), and once the conflict is cleared up, the Waitlist option is no longer available?

When students experience this, they should log-out of BearWeb, close their browser, and then log back into BearWeb. The Waitlist option will be available upon logging back into BearWeb.

21. What should a student do if they are having a problem adding a section to their schedule, once they have received a Waitlist notification for that section?

Do NOT drop yourself from the Waitlist. This will automatically initiate an email to the next student on the Waitlist.
- Make sure the section you are trying to add does not have other required components (i.e. BIO 2106 requires both lecture (01) and lab (A) AND BIO 2306 (01))
- Look through the Student Instructions document on our website (Waitlist instructions begin on page 6).
- If your problem persists, take a screen shot and contact our office as soon as possible.

22. Can Waitlisting a class impact a student's financial aid, or full-time status?

Waitlisted sections do not count toward a student's enrolled hours. Financial aid eligibility and full-time status are determined by a student's enrolled credit hours. Academic scholarships or other awards may not be applied to a student's bill if the student is not enrolled in sufficient credit hours.

23. What should students do if their class isn't opening up and they're not registered for a full schedule?

Students should try to create a full schedule with other available classes (See FAQ#2 regarding Waitlisting for Time Conflicts). If a student is uncertain of other courses that will allow progress toward graduation, the student should speak to his or her advisor. In the event that a Waitlisted section does not open up, a full schedule that enables progress toward graduation is better than "the perfect schedule" that is unavailable.

24. What happens to the Waitlist after the add deadline each term?

The waitlist is automatically purged at 11:59 pm on the last day to add classes. After this point, students are no longer able to add themselves to classes and therefore the waitlists are cleared. The system automatically drops all students from their respective waitlists. If the course was required for graduation or progression, the student should reach out to their advisor immediately.