Not every family who joins your waiting list ends up taking a place — some find a spot elsewhere, others change their plans. When that happens, the application is marked Withdrawn. It then stays on your list as a record until you choose to remove it. This article explains how an application gets withdrawn, what the family sees, and how to clear out entries you no longer need.
How an application gets withdrawn
There are three ways an application can end up with a Withdrawn status:
| Who | How |
|---|---|
| The parent | Clicks the withdraw link in any of their waiting list emails and confirms on the page that opens. This is available while their application is at Received, Contacted, or Deferred. |
| The parent (after a place is offered) | If you've already offered them a place, they withdraw from their offer response page instead — the same page they'd use to accept or decline. |
| You | Open the action menu on the application row, choose Change Status, then Mark as Withdrawn. |
What happens when a family withdraws
As soon as an application is withdrawn:
- Its status changes to Withdrawn and the date is recorded.
- The parent gets a confirmation email, so they know it worked.
- The section leader gets a notification email, so you're not caught out by it.
- The entry stays on your waiting list — see the next section.
Withdrawn applications stay on your list
This is the important part: nothing is removed automatically. A withdrawn application keeps its place on your waiting list as a record. There's no timer that deletes it after a few weeks, and no overnight tidy-up that clears it away.
Withdrawn entries sort to the bottom of the table and are counted in the Withdrawn total on the summary bar, so they stay out of your way while you work through active applications. They're kept on purpose — so you always have a record of who applied and what happened to their application.
Removing an application for good
When you're ready to clear a withdrawn application out completely, it's a manual step — and it's yours to decide:
- Open the action menu on the application row.
- Click Delete.
- Confirm in the dialog.
The application is then removed from your waiting list. Deleting is permanent, so only use it once you're sure you no longer need the record.
What's next
- Processing Waiting List Applications — triage applications, send offers, and convert accepted applicants into members.
- Setting Up Your Waiting List — configure your public form and priority rules.
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Related guidesProcessing Waiting List Applications
How to triage applications, send offers, and convert accepted applicants into members.
Read articleSetting Up Your Waiting List
How to enable, configure, and share your group's public waiting list form.
Read articleMoving a Member to the Waiting List
How to move a young person who is leaving temporarily back onto your waiting list, keeping their badges and history so they can be re-admitted without re-entering anything.
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