Yes - a lot of schools offer to many applicants a spot on the wait list. But I think a bigger problem is the deferral from ED or EA. Many schools defer a big chunk of the ED/EA pool, so instead of moving on and perhaps applying ED2 somewhere else, these kids hold out hope for an acceptance that is not likely to come. It would be better to just reject at EA/ED so kids could move their focus elsewhere
Is being wait listed the post admission cycle equivalent to the so called “personalized” mail/email from colleges with single digit admission rates?
Are more schools waitlisting than in the past?
Carnegie Mellon had a wait list of 2,700 last year and 4 students got in. This year they are trying to let more students in off the wait list but if you need financial aid your place on the wait list is pushed back. Wait listed applicants are no longer need blind…very disappointing for students who can’t afford the high cost, but are possibly more qualified than the next person who can pay full price. I guess it saves the school money though…the whole college application process is a big game.
I have been waitlisted at Wesleyan University. It is my first choice for University. If accepted, I would absolutely come to campus in the fall. What should I do to get off the waitlist? How to increase my acceptance percentage?
I am an international student who is seeking a nearly full ride. I can do anything, just tell me.
Colleges don’t take wait lists seriously and applicants don’t either. As such, there is no problem and these lists shouldn’t influence any behavior from students as to how many applications they submit.
For 2017-2018, first time first year freshman admission, 11094 were wait listed. 468 admitted at U of M.
I know lots of kids that come off of waitlists. I know someone last year that came off of Hamilton’s, Wesleyan’s, and a third it might have been Colby or Middlebury can’t remember now. Anyway, he came off of all of them right before and after May 1. He’s at Wesleyan and loves it.
I think there is more movement on waitlists than in the past. You definitely cannot count on them coming through so you need to move on and get excited about other choices. But there is movement, at some schools more than others.
@022262 I didn’t read the book, but from all the descriptions, and your previous post on it, I do not think the problem is that parents and students want schools to sugar coat the facts. What we do want is transparency and truth in what you are really looking for and what, like it or not, you are not. Don’t lie to us, give us a scripted lecture or give false hope when you (and I don’t mean ‘you’ personally, I mean the schools current AO’s) know exactly who you will accept and who you won’t. Don’t waste our money and time helping you to game your numbers and %'s on USNWR at our expense.
Kindly just pass by the school on your ‘fanning out across the country’ tour in search of (insert script) when you are just trying to increase applications and lower acceptance rates. If you only want our athletes, yes we know they are good, then kindly just go visit the coaches and leave the rest of us alone. I know you think your huge waitlists will appease the schools so they will keep pushing apps and $ your way but stop. I also seriously doubt your adding a kid to the waitlist would do anything to appease an intelligent alumni of your school, I mean you are suppose to be world class smart, no? Then don’t think your alumni are stupid enough to believe you 'just didn’t have enough room otherwise your kid was in…and might just get in so please keep those donations coming.
You are right, there are a million great schools out there and a million great kids to go around so stop, just stop, its offensive and I don’t offend easily
@collegemomjam
I have been waitlisted at Wesleyan University. It is my first choice for University. If accepted, I would absolutely come to campus in the fall. What should I do to get off the waitlist? How to increase my acceptance percentage?
What did he do to get off the waitlist at Wesleyan?
I’m on 6 waitlists: UCSD, UCSB, UCD, NYU, Tufts, and Cal Poly SLO. anyone know the chances of getting off these? I know Tufts is basically not going to happen since they haven’t used WL in years, but what about the others?
I think that colleges use waitlists for many different reasons, and it’s only fair that they disclose stats so we know what being WLed really means.
For some colleges, it’s yield management – if you WL someone who you like but think will go above you, you give them the option to tell you you were wrong, and then have a very likely acceptance.
For some, it’s a consolation prize. Please feel appropriately consoled.
For some, it’s risk management. You don’t know if it’ll be a year like this one or last year, where it’s unexpectedly tough all around, so yield will be high. WLing some kids you’d normally admit keeps you from having to rush a bunch of cots to the gym.
@pfdgjb I’m not sure if he sent a letter of interest, but I don’t think it can hurt. Do you have anything new you can update them about? Like have you earned any new awards or honors? Anything new that isn’t on your application?
Hey guys, not sure if anyone posted this discussion already, but I found a similar talk from last year that you guys might want to take a look at:
http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1975273-waitlist-epidemic-p1.html
@techilliterate It might be interesting to read through with the hindsight that a number of selective colleges ended up overenrolled last year (class of 2021) and some then accepted fewer students this year (class of 2022).
@evergreen5 Oh that’s really interesting, I had no idea that happened actually! But thinking about it that does make sense… I think I remember reading a lot of comments thatthe chance for being pulled of the waitlist that year was small because so many early and regular candidates had matriculated.
Read on another thread that the Bates wait list started to move already. So maybe that bodes well for WL movement this year. Big increases in applications makes predicting yield trickier, so if schools took a conservative approach, WL will move
@sdnfjlj87909 I got waitlisted at NYU as well… so i did some digging… They waitlisted 21% of the pool… so thats 16000 students… last year 50% of the students accepted their wait list… so I would say around 8000 students this year…
Also last year, they accepted 325 students off the wait list… this may also change… but for the sake of calculation… we have a 4% chance of getting accepted ! Hurray…
Source: http://admissionsblog.nyu.edu/2017/05/03/wait-list-update-1-2/
@“Pakshal Mehta” oh yay. 4% chance. sounds great…
I don’t know if this has been mentioned, but what I have heard is that if anyone is going to get off of a waitlist they are full pay. If you need aid I believe the chances are very slim.