Hey everyone,
So I am an HS senior: 35 ACT, really good EC’s, High-ranking magnet school, 95.5/100 GPA
I applied to 6 out of the 8 Ivies, and Tulane, Northeastern, UVA, UChicago, and BU.
So far I have been waitlisted at UChicago, UVA, Tulane, Northeastern and have only been accepted to BU.
Does anyone know why I have been waitlisted at so many schools that I thought I could get into easily? Further, it seems strange that I have been waitlisted at all these places, yet I haven’t been rejected anywhere. If I got rejected to UChicago and waitlisted at Tulane, or waitlisted at UChicago but accepted into Tulane, it would make more sense. I don’t know why I keep getting waitlisted from schools of such varying admission rates. If anyone has any idea why I would be extremely grateful to hear.
The real question is whether the WL= a rejection in all practical terms.
Some are highly selective, like Chicago, so you should not have thought that you could get into them easily.
Others may appear to be “safeties”, but they tend to waitlist “overqualified” applicants whom they believe will not attend, unless they show a high enough “level of interest” (i.e. recorded visits, checking the portal, reading emails from the college with an email reader that displays images, etc.).
Waitlist should generally be seen as a rejection, with a very small chance of admission after May 1.
^
@ucbalumnus oh I totally understood UChicago was difficult to get into (I am happy to even get waitlisted)
But I am just worried about the others; do you think its a bad sign to get waitlisted from them? In terms of Ivy admissions?
Why would you be surprised? Perhaps only Northeastern may be a little bit surprise but it has been really though thee for admission this year too. For those reach schools, the admissions are not really independent events (or random events). Very typical one gets admitted by several or rejected by all. So a consistent outcome is not uncommon.
Because you were overconfident? Or, for schools where you were towards the top of the range, you didn’t show any love and nobody wants to be a consolation prize.
Did you have any Extracurriculars (non-academic ones)?
did you have only 1 safety?
You were wait listed at excellent schools that confirms you presented treaty credentials. The schools have competitive admissions and you may even be compared to several applicants that applied to one or more of the same schools as you. Perhaps, this year was especially competitive.
Of course you are disappointed and confused. Understand that these schools are not in cahoots with other and you can’t explain why each school made individual, but identical decisions. Do not do a mental autopsy of your applications! Maybe you didn’t show some ECs or enough interest or … Others were speculating and have no particular insight into your situation. You could make yourself nuts thinking about what happened and the decision could have been different for each school.
Later, it will be cool that you wait listed at so many great schools where very qualified applicants were denied admissions. BU only stand out because it is unique. You do have an excellent opportunity. I suppose you could delay acceptance until you must make a decision. Maybe one of the wait list schools will accept you. Or you could accept BU and get on with your life.
Based on early stats coming back from top schools (like the ones you’ve applied to), the idea of a safety school among the Top 50 schools doesn’t exist anymore. If you check out the Class of 2022 Admission Stats on CC, you’ll see that almost all Top 30 universities or LACs will have <20% admit rate this year. Many are in the low teens now where they were well above 20% just a couple years ago. (e.g., Tulane is at 17% this year. That is not a safety school for most!)
Also, all the schools take pains to manage their admit rate and yield because those #s factor into rankings and perception of “exclusivity”. Hence the explosion in ED applications and admissions to secure the yield. For RD, you might also have gotten WL at a safety because they don’t think you’ll really go there, and so don’t want to “waste” their admit pool on someone who will bring down their yield. I’ve also seen some schools use their WL as a way to preserve their yield. So they don’t outright send you an Admit decision after May, but rather will call you to gauge your interest in attending before they “officially admit” you. All to increase the odds that they’ll admit someone who will matriculate.
Did you show your schools a lot of “love” during the application process? I know several friends of my D who didn’t get into their “safeties” even during the early EA rounds because they showed no interest in the school.
You have no safeties on your list and admissions are really competitive, that’s why.
Sounds like you don’t have a hook: recruited athlete, legacy, URM, first gen, Posse, Questbridge. High stats, EC and GPA just not enough anymore. You need something compelling about your essays or app. Did you apply ED or EA anywhere? Showing your love might be the only thing one in your shoes can do. ? Let one of the WL schools know they are your first choice and if admitted will attend. Send cookies? sometimes it works.
DO NOT send cookies!
You’re WL because you’re within range for all these extraordinarily selective schools.
You can meet with your GC to make sure there’s no need flag in your application