<p>I’d like to know as well.</p>
<p>@4461mom: I emailed, and Deerfield said their waitlist is closed. Unless something unusual happens in the summer - which is unlikely.</p>
<p>Personally, I think wait lists are just a nice way of letting the applicant down easy. Means the student was qualified, so they can’t outright reject you, but you also weren’t the straight A student, ukulele protege, captain of the volleyball team and head of the electronics club that they were looking for. Also, you were thin on community service. They mean it when they say they are looking for “the total package.” But, I wonder, is it really all worth it?</p>
<p>Hey, did anyone see that article in The Boston Globe today on The Frankenstudent? It’s directed toward college admissions, but could easily apply to prep school admission, as well.
Very interesting.</p>
<p>You may be right but my d has gotten off of one waitlist this year, and last year a friend’s child got off of a ‘Ten Schools’ one as well. It is amazing that the schools are so good at predicting yield, though.</p>
<p>um i disagree with you labbydog. i got less than 55 percentile on my ssat and i have a 3.0 gpa nothing speacial, and i got waitlisted at NMH are you calling me over qualified?</p>
<p>
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<p>I don’t think so labbydog. They outright reject PLENTY of qualified applicants…plenty. </p>
<p>While there may be such a thing as a courtesy waitlist, I don’t think it’s very common for unconnected applicants.</p>
<p>I’ll check out that article though! I sounds interesting. I’ve read about parents who groom their children from conception for the “best” schools, but I’ve never actually met one. What’s a good name for those parents? helicopter isn’t severe enough.</p>
<p>I like the article. It’s so true. Many kids work just as hard to take care of their family or “just be there when my friends need me”, maybe get Bs here and there. But that just doesn’t sound as “cool” as someone who flies to Djibouti to distribute rice after winning Aquaggaswack championship, while keeping straight As AND being captain of Luge and Biathlon teams. At top schools, the first profile would be deemed mediocre, while the second (fancy) one would be unique and “shows leadership potential” and all.</p>
<p>Neato . . </p>
<p>“FrankenParent” comes to mind. They often negatively impact their student’s chances when they show up at an interview.</p>
<p>Frankenmommy</p>
<p>Labbydog, I have a little different perspective. Unless you mean that the “total package” includes a major hook. My D is high honors, excellent SSAT’s , first in her class of over 200 kids in highly competitive public school
(our HS sends just as many to the Ivies as 2nd tier bs’s) , well rounded, popular, nice, mature, good ec’s, COMMUNITY SERVICE , etc. etc. We felt her interviews went great. She had a combination of “not selected” and wait list. Why the difference? Who knows. However, the wait list letter from at least one top school went out of its way to encourage her, and her AO kept in contact all along until the bad news today that no one is coming off the list. </p>
<p>What she was lacking? She needs full FA. Almost every AO told us this was the weakness in her application, but Andover ( who is supposedly need blind). Also, there was an abundance this year of qualified students at all the top schools, especially girls. When all else is equal its the hook that gets a child in. The two big ones for FA are URMs, and star athletes.
The big ones for full pay are the above plus legacy.</p>
<p>Just the way I see it. I think anyone who was wait listed should be proud of themselves, it means the school wanted you very much just didn’t have enough room.</p>
<p>Sadie, I agree. remember that these schools are not meritocracies.</p>
<p>Waitlist update (from my friend): Berkshire said they most likely won’t go through waitlist, they’ll send confirmation next week.
As I posted before, Deerfield, Groton, and St. George’s won’t go through waitlist either.</p>
<p>Hope it helps other applicants. Now I learn that though it’s possible to get off waitlist, it’s highly unlikely.</p>
<p>Catg. Good point. To an extent they are, but only to an extent. And thats okay. </p>
<p>Good article in the Globe by the way, Labby. In our case, it is my D who is the one who wishes to achieve. I couldn’t push her if I tried, in fact cant think of a better way to curb her enthusiasm. She is a completely self motivated child - a goal setter. I think sometimes it Is the parents who are trying to make Frankenchildren or whatever, but I suspect that it backfires on them as frequently as not. </p>
<p>In reality, I think there are a lot of reasons for this trend. Its the crazy world we live in today …personally I would like to go back 50 years, live on an island, and read great books for fun. Maybe we can keep that ideal too…</p>
<p>oh yes, email from Deerfield today…sad</p>
<p>If your D is already at such a good high school, is it necessary to try to get in a boarding school? She’ll be fine wherever she is.</p>
<p>Another thing I learnt is that schools are very generous in giving compliments/encouragements. I got a HANDWRITING letter from Taft saying how much they were impressed by my supplement and interview and all, but then I was rejected right away (not even waitlisted). Andover interviewer kept in touch with me and said she likes me a lot, but I didn’t get in either. </p>
<p>I mean, they’re sweet and don’t want to let anyone down, but at the same time, we shouldn’t give ourselves false hope…</p>
<p>Sadie2- unfortunately, I think you are totally right. It seems that this year, it was all about the FA. I’m lucky that my kids got in right before the economic meltdown and subsequent endowment loss. We definitely do NOT have a meritocracy today, you will see the same trend in college admissions.</p>
<p>In previous years more kids got off the waitlist. These past two years have been unusual with the increase in applications, the economic climate, et al. </p>
<p>Why one school rejects and another ( equally selective) wait lists is anyones guess. It is a numbers game. </p>
<p>As far as my D doing fine in PS, she will. That has nothing to do with her wish to go to boarding school.</p>
<p>By the way, I would like to say Congratuations to any of those who did get in to a top tier school with Full FA, especially with none of the above mentioned hooks. There are a few here, you know who you are, and well it is not, as the director of admissions at Exeter said “an annointing”, you do have much to be proud of! </p>
<p>But really, anyone who is game enough to go through this whole process deserves kudos. It has been an invaluable learning experience.</p>
<p>Why do you think there are more applications if the economic climate is not good? It seems to me that less people would be applying to schools that cost $45 GRAND!</p>
<p>I suppose that because public school budgets are being cut, parents are looking for better schools for their children and hoping for financial aid.</p>
<p>No, mostly it’s the increase in the int’l app pool. I’m from China and on the Chinese forum…there are TONS of parents hoping to send their kids to the Ivies and have found out that American BS increase the chance(haha I don’t agree). The number of Chinese applicants has tripled during the last 2 years, right after the economic turndown. (thanks to the Internet)
We are just Koreans 2.0</p>
<p>So, don’t worry, domesic applicants! I remember a girl called Peddie and they said that there were just more Chinese applying, not American.</p>