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Waitlist a Class

Course Waitlist

A waitlist is an electronic list of students who would like to enroll in a closed class. Waitlisting does not guarantee enrollment into any class and not all classes have waitlists.

How the Waitlist Works

  • A student uses the waitlist to get in line for a course needed to fulfill a requirement.
  • The waitlist is first-come, first-served, since the first student added to a waitlist is the first person eligible to enroll if an open seat becomes available.
  • An email notification will be sent to your Northwest email when a seat becomes available.
  • You have 24 hours to make the decision to actually enroll/add the class. Your option to add the class expires in 24 hours.
  • You are NOT automatically enrolled in the class by the system.
  • You MUST take action to add the class to your schedule by following the steps below “How to Add a Waitlisted Class”.
  • If you do not wish to add the class, you should remove yourself from the Waitlist by following the “How to Remove/Drop a Waitlisted Class”.
  • If you take no action to add the class to your schedule before your 24-hour period expires, your opportunity to add the class expires, and the next priority student is notified. 

Things to Know about the Waitlist

  • The waitlist does not guarantee that you will get in the course.
  • If there is an open section of the same course, it is better to go with the open class, than to hope for enrollment in the waitlisted section.
  • You cannot be enrolled in one section of a class and waitlist a different section of the same class.
  • You cannot waitlist more than one section of the same class.
  • You cannot waitlist a class for which you do not meet the prerequisites.
  • You cannot waitlist a class if the total credit hours you are enrolled in for the term, plus the waitlisted course, will put you over your maximum hours allowed. 
  • You can waitlist a class that is at the same time as a course you are already enrolled in. 
  • But you cannot add the waitlisted course until you drop the other course that is at the same time.
  • Although a seat can appear to be open on the Class Search screens, that seat is saved for the first person on the waitlist, if a waitlist exists.

Important Notes

  • Registration holds can be placed on student accounts at any time.  Check your account frequently to ensure that no holds prevent registration, if you are on a waitlist.  When the notification is received, a hold will prevent you from adding the class.
  • Students may waitlist through the last date to add the class based on the part of term listed.
  • Students should ensure they are registered in the appropriate number of hours before the end of add period.

Find a Class that can be Waitlisted

To determine if a class is available to waitlist, there are two methods: 

  • Class Openings At-A-Glance in CatPAWS
  • The Secure Area of Classic CatPAWS using the Add/Drop Classes or Look-Up Classes links.

Class Openings At-A-Glance

Three columns indicate if a class can be waitlisted.

  • Waitlist Max – Total # of Waitlist Slots
  • Waitlist Count – Actual # of students currently on the Waitlist
  • Waitlist Open – # of Waitlist Slots still Available

Add/Drop Classes or Look Up Classes

If a waitlist exists, the Status column will show the number of seats available on the waitlist (example: 15 of 15 waitlist seats remain).

If there are available seats on a waitlist, write down the 5-digit CRN for the course.  The student must input the CRN to sign up for the waitlist, since there is no 'select' function for a waitlist on a class section.

Steps to Waitlist a Class

  1. Go to the Registration Card
  2. Click Add/Drop Classes
  3. Select Term
  4. Click the Continue button
  5. The Find Classes menu displays
  6. Click on the Enter CRNs tab
  7. To sign up for the Waitlist for a class, enter the Course Reference Number (CRN)
    • Click Add to Summary button
  8. Select Waitlist from the Action drop-down menu (allowed when Waitlist Count greater than zero)
    • Click Submit button

You are now on the Waitlist for the class as shown on your Summary.

You will be sent an email notification IF an open seat becomes available for the class you have waitlisted.  You will not be automatically enrolled.  You must take action to register for the class once you have been notified.

How to Add a Waitlisted Class

  1. Go to the Registration Card   
  2. Click Add/Drop Classes
  3. Select Term
  4. Click the Continue button
  5. Your Current Schedule displays
  6. Under the Status column, find the Waitlisted CRN and class section that you have been notified has a seat available
  7. From the Action drop-down menu, select Web Registered
    • Click the Submit button

You are now registered for the class as shown on your Summary.

How to Remove/Drop a Waitlisted Class (Classic CatPAWS)

  1. Go to the Registration Card   
  2. Click Add/Drop Classes
  3. Select Term
  4. Click the Continue button
  5. Your Current Schedule displays
  6. Under the Status column, find the Waitlisted CRN and class section that you have been notified has a seat available
  7. From the Action drop-down menu, select Web Drop
    • Click the Submit button

You are now removed/dropped from the waitlist for the class as shown on your Summary