<p>Hello, fellow members of CC. :)</p>
<p>Like many others here on this fine website, I have been waitlisted at the schools I have applied to. I've been reading through all these threads about waitlists, and I've seen some people mention something called a 'yield'? So if one spot opens up in the new class, it doesn't necessarily mean a spot will be offered to someone on the waitlist? Why? </p>
<p>Thank you for your time,
Aaralyn :D</p>
<p>Based on previous years, schools will predict their yields. So if say they have a yield of 80%, they will accept 120% students for the incoming year in anticipation of the 20% that will most likely choose not to attend.</p>
<p>Because every boarding school actually accepts more students than it has places, for knowing that not everyone will accept. So they calculate an expected yield(percentage of students that actually enroll) and if fewer people than expected enroll they pull people of the waitlist. Sometimes they over-enroll for some grades and in that case no-one is taken off the waitlist for that particular grade. </p>
<p>Hotchkiss ,for instance, had a “yield” of 52% in 2009. You can see on their little card thing that in 2009 360 people were accepted and 188 enrolled, that is 52% of accepted people enrolled.</p>
<p>@tarsier; Oh, I see. So that hypothetical school has to have a yield of below 80% before people on the waitlist are even considered, right? Well dang that sucks. 
Oh well, I will keep on hoping! :)</p>
<p>@Choralpartita; Yeah, I really wish I had a better chance on all of these waitlists. I applied to six schools anticipating that at least one would accept me, but no such luck. 5 waitlists and one rejection. xD I will pray and wish on 11:11’s, so maybe one day I will get taken off one of those waitlists. :D</p>
<p>a school doesn’t have to have a yield below 80% to get students off the waitlist. Let’s say there is a school, X. If X has a 50% yield, then they may ‘overbook’ the acceptance list to 150%. Another problem with waitlists are some schools have ‘second admission’ where some people may apply late…then depending on their application, may be accepted above the people on waitlist. </p>
<p>I personally think this meathod has some faults. But best of luck on the waitlists.</p>
<p>I you are waitlisted, stay in touch with the schools at the top of your list in case a spot does open. They won’t know you still “love” them unless you tell them you still really want to be a student there.</p>
<p>@ccprep; We were talking about the hypothetical school that tarsier made up for an example, but I get your point. And yes, I don’t think it’s fair that schools have a second admission cycle where late applicants can be accepted over the waitlisted people. But hey, I can’t do anything about it. xD</p>
<p>@ExieMITAlum; Yes, I have already replied to all the decision letters (mine were emailed 'cause I’m an international student) saying that I wish to remain on the wait list and that I feel I’m lucky to even have a place on the wait list, etcetc. I will also scan my report card (it’s coming out this Friday) and send it to my interviewers along with a ‘thank you’ note for their support throughout the process. I’m not going to do that until after March 15 though, I don’t want to annoy the AO’s. xD Do you think that would be a good idea? :)</p>
<p>Yes - absolutely. Even at MIT, we tell students that those who take the time to stay in contact (but not bug them) or send extra materials to support their file get more attention than those who don’t. Good luck!</p>
<p>@ExieMITAlum; Okay, thank you so much for your input! Eek I’m so nervous. :)</p>
<p>Wait list - it’s really not a list but a series of pools. One school had something like 80+% acceptance rate for freshman girls a couple years ago. Guess what? Not many girls are going to be admitted to the same class as sophomores, juniors, etal. But in the same class the freshman boys might have had a dramatically lower acceptance rate, so more spots off the wait list, more spots for the next years sophomore class, etc. So it is REALLY unpredictable. And it ain’t personal, it’s just what the schools need that year.</p>
<p>But the best advice was - love the school that loves you. The admissions offices really can gauge fit - listen to them.</p>
<p>@Balto; What do you mean a series of ‘pools’? And yeah, I read about that somewhere on CC too, don’t remember which school. It won’t really affect me 'cause I’m applying for a freshman spot, but I get your point. Thank you for the advice! And I would follow ‘love the school that loves you’, but no schools love me! They don’t hate me either (rejection), they only like me (waitlist). xD Hopefully one will fall in love with me soon! :D</p>
<p>IMO a lot of good points here and Balto is correct in stating that it is not all that simple and I like the last:</p>
<p>But the best advice was - love the school that loves you. The admissions offices really can gauge fit - listen to them.</p>
<p>@ops; Excuse my ignorance, but what does IMO mean? And yes, I agree too. If any of the schools I’m waitlisted at moves me off the waitlist, I will probably enroll, no matter if it was my first choice. :)</p>
<p>In my opinion.</p>
<p>Oh, I see! Thanks. xD</p>