Skip to Content

University Registrar

Waitlisting

A waitlist is a feature in Self Service Carolina that allows a student to add themselves on a list to be notified when a seat becomes available in a closed section. If a section is full, and the waitlist for the section has been made available, you may be able to add yourself to the waitlist. You will receive an email if a seat has opened up and it is your turn to register for the class.

Spring 2025 Beta Test

During the Spring 2025 semester, the University of South Carolina will introduce the Self Service Carolina waitlist functionality for select Biology and Psychology sections. Waitlisting is only available for these sections at this time.

During registration, specific courses will be available for the automated waitlisting process.  If a course will allow students to be added to the waitlist, this can be viewed in one of two ways – either in Browse Classes or Register for Classes.

Search for the course you were advised to take. If waitlisting is available for the section, the number of available waitlist seats can be viewed under Seat Availability.

Screenshot of Browse Classes in Self Service Carolina showing waitlist seat availability in the Seat Availability column

Screenshot of Register for Classes in Self Service Carolina showing waitlist seat availability in the Seat Availability column

Note: In both options above, clicking the title of the course and selecting Enrollment/Waitlist on the popup card will also give current waitlist totals.

When you attempt to register for a course that is full, and waitlist seats remain, you can add yourself to the waitlist by clicking Add (or Add to Summary) and submit.   You will then see this message:

ASLG 121 CRN 12578: Closed - No seats available. 1 Waitlisted. Select Waitlist (under Action) to be added to Waitlist.

If the course has any other restrictions that you will need overrides for, you will be presented with those and will need to obtain overrides before you can be added to the waitlist.

BIOL 243 CRN 13786: Field of Study: Restricted to students in a specific major, minor, or concentration. Field of Study override needed.

When you attempt to register for a course that is full, and the waitlist is also full, you will receive this error message:

Closed - Waitlist Full

When you attempt to register for a course that has an open seat, but the seat is being held for the next student on the waitlist to add, you will receive this error message:

PSYC 221 CRN 25428: Open - Reserved for Wait List

To be added to the waitlist, click the drop-down under Action and select Wait Listed, Submit.

Screenshot showing the selection of Wait Listed from Action dropdown menu for a section that has a wait list seat available.

Once successfully added to the waitlist, confirm under Status.

Screenshot showing Waitlisted highlighted in green in the Status column

When a seat becomes available, the next student on the waitlist will immediately receive an email notification and will have 24 hours to add the course to their schedule.  During the 24-hour window, the student can add or drop the course as many times as they wish.  Essentially, the seat is held for that specific student for 24 hours.

If the student misses the 24-hour deadline and tries to add the course, their only option in the dropdown will be Drop/Delete Web.  They must first remove themselves from the waitlist (using Drop/Delete Web) and then add themselves back.

Screenshot showing the option to Drop/Delete Web in Action dropdown menu

Sample Email

Screenshot of sample notification email sent to a student notifying them of an available waitlist seat

  • Waitlisting is not available for all courses.
  • Being on the waitlist does not guarantee that you will be offered enrollment in that course.
  • Waitlisting is on a first come, first served basis.
  • When notified via email, you must register for the waitlisted course.  If no action is taken you are removed from the waitlist after 24 hours.  

 


Challenge the conventional. Create the exceptional. No Limits.

©