Waitlist a Class

• 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. 

• 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.

• 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.

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

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

Class Openings At-A-Glance

Three new columns have been added to the Class Openings to indicate 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

Three columns now display to indicate a waitlist is available for a closed class (designated by a C in the left-hand column of the "Look-up Classes to Add" screen)

• WL Cap – Waitlist Capacity (same as Waitlist Max)
• WL Act – Waitlist Actual (same as Waitlist Count)
• WL Rem – Waitlist Remaining (same as Waitlist Open)
• If the "WL Rem" is greater than 0, you can add yourself to the waitlist.
• If the "WL Cap" is 0, the course does not currently offer a waitlist.

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.

1.   Click on Student
2.   Click on Registration
3.   Click Select Term
   • Example:  Fall 2025
4. Click the Submit button
5. The Registration menu displays
6. Click Add/Drop Classes
7. To sign up for the Waitlist for a class, enter the Course Reference Number (CRN) in the Add Classes Worksheet
   • Click Submit Changes button
8. Under the Registration Add Errors notification, a message will display that the class is Closed - # Waitlisted, Open - # Waitlisted, Closed – Waitlist Full, Open – Waitlist Full, or Open – Reserved for Waitlist
   • Select Waitlist from the Action drop-down menu (allowed when Waitlist Count greater than zero)
   • Click Submit Changes button

You are now on the Waitlist for the class as shown under the Status column of the Current Schedule

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.

1. Click on Student   
2. Click on Registration
3. Click Select Term
   • Example:  Fall 2025
4. Click the Submit button
5. The Registration menu displays
6. Click Add/Drop Classes
7. Your Current Schedule displays
8. Under the Status column, find the Waitlisted CRN and class section that you have been notified has a seat available
9. From the Action drop-down menu, select Web Registered
   • Click Submit Changes button

You are now registered for the class as shown under the Status column of the Current Schedule

1. Click on Student   
2. Click on Registration
3. Click Select Term
   • Example:  Fall 2025
4. Click the Submit button
5. The Registration menu displays
6. Click Add/Drop Classes
7. Your Current Schedule displays
8. Under the Status column, find the Waitlisted CRN and class section that you have been notified has a seat available
9. From the Action drop-down menu, select Web Drop,
   • Click Submit Changes button

You are now removed/dropped from the waitlist for the class as shown under the Status column of the Current Schedule