<p>Sorry if these are redundant and info could be found somewhere else...BUT...</p>
<p>I was waitlisted at Notre Dame, Duke, and Vanderbilt. (I hope to get accepted off the waitlist at at least one of these schools) As of right now, I would LOVE to attend any of these schools - I don't really have a top choice.</p>
<p>So..</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If I get accepted off of the waitlist, is it kind of like an automatic enrollment? Or can I choose to stay on waitlists for multiple colleges?</p></li>
<li><p>Would it be terrible if I told each school that I would attend their school if I were admitted? The only reason I want to do this is to increase my chances of acceptance at schools that are already kinda borderline for me...</p></li>
<li><p>Does a campus visit help my application in any way?</p></li>
<li><p>I'm thinking about sending in various supplementary material...like newspaper articles I was in, a video of me on stage (for a scholarship contest), maybe 2 more recommendations. Good idea or bad idea? I know that specifically for Vanderbilt they asked to send in only new information, not reiterate activities already on my application. I'm just trying to help my regional reps contextualize my activities and get a more personal look at me as an applicant.</p></li>
<li><p>Is retaking tests out of the question? (ACT or SAT?) Would this look badly at this point?</p></li>
<li><p>I'm considering founding a physics club at our school...would that look good on my application, or would it look bad considering its the last quarter of high school? I don't want to look desperate.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Any answers to these questions are greatly appreciated. I'm really praying to get off the waitlist at at least one of these schools. Hopefully this gave any of you guys waitlisted some ideas. Feel free to post any links to articles or guides as well.</p>
<p>Take a breath and then compose a letter to each regional officer, and state that you will put a deposit down at another college but that you are willing to forfeit that deposit if you have the privilege of being admitted to the class of 2014 at said college. You are under no obligation to not try to get off of multiple waitlists. This is a numbers battle and you don’t have to give up on two schools and focus on only one. Say you are willing to wait even if it takes all summer, that you wish to be contacted even late in this process.</p>
<p>However, if you get an offer, you will probably be only able to take it for a very limited amount of time…like one or two days…then they move on to the next person who wants a spot. Each college has a limit on time for you to consider…it is usually a short time.</p>
<p>So this issue of disloyalty is really a non issue. You can conduct yourself with integrity intact as long as you accept your offer…probably from the first of your favorites to call you.</p>
<p>I don’t think I would come to campus. another reference on another aspect of your life could be of use, newspaper articles if they are substantive only.</p>
<p>Be realistic. Duke had 27,000 applicants and Vandy had an all time high. Clearly lots of superb kids who would succeed at these schools didn’t get seats in ways that are mysterious and random. Give your heart to the college where you begin in August is my advice. Even if you intend to try to transfer out, give your first school your best in every sense of yourself. All colleges give back what you put in.</p>
<p>I am sorry you are disappointed so use this as a time to hang tough.</p>
<p>Testing and the physics club thing is far too late to have any impact at this point. Likely the supplementary materials as well; from my limited understanding of waitlist, it basically means they like you, but they liked other people later, and you’re in a line of people who will get in once others say they aren’t coming. So I don’t know that there is a lot you can do to move your standing up or down.</p>
<p>Maybe some schools are not? Because from what I know about lots of schools, they are saying once you join the wailist and get accepted, you have to attend them. So I assume that’s a binding?</p>
<p>Soundwave, I have never heard that. As far as I know what happens is a school will call you and tell you you have been accepted off the Waitlist. Usually you will have roughly 3 days to respond. If you accept the admission, I am nearly positive it isn’t binding. As far as I know you could get accepted off the waitlist and enroll at a school, then after you accept the admission if you get another offer from another Waitlist you can accept that one, and so on until infinite. You will just pay more in deposits.</p>
<p>No…it is not binding…you may be thinking of the rules for Early Decision.</p>
<p>However, you may have already paid out a lot of money to the school you decided to attend. You must read those rules very carefully regarding when and what money paid down can be returned to you. These matters are all clearly spelled out at each college. To reserve a room costs a certain price by a certain deadline at each college.</p>
<p>If you get off the waitlist, Vanderbilt gives you a week to decide. </p>
<p>If you got waitlisted or rejected, I would not worry. It was extremely tough this year, and the low admissions really says more about the number of applicants then the quality of them.</p>