<p>I didn't apply to WUSTL, but I've been reading through the decision threads, and I've seen the idea that WUSTL waitlists "overqualified" students every year.</p>
<p>I just don't really understand it. How would the admissions office determine who they felt was going to get into HYPSM? Every admissions office is full of human beings who will make decisions based on things that probably differ (maybe greatly) from person to person, office to office. Trying to find the line between a student who is "HYPSM material" and "WUSTL material" doesn't make sense.</p>
<p>It doesn't seem like it's strictly an interest thing either. In the decision thread, there are students with very good profiles who showed no interest and were accepted; some with very similar profiles showed interest and were rejected.</p>
<p>Is this all really in the name of "yield protection?"</p>
<p>I applied to WUSTL this year. I think I was neither overqualified nor underqualified, and I was waitlisted. </p>
<p>Immediately, I felt a little disappointed about my waitlist as I thought about all of those times I “courted” WUSTL (showed a Sam Fox admissions director my portfolio and she liked it + my interviewer and I connected), but when I realized that my constant contact with WUSTL actually helped me by having me waitlisted rather than rejected.</p>
<p>I think what ultimately separated me from an acceptance as a waitlist ( as I observed my peers who were accepted and those who were waitlisted) was that I was asking for a lot of financial aid. My EFC is 400~, and I think my counselor and even I, myself, made that clear through her recommendations and through my college interview.</p>
<p>So, I’ve come to terms with the fact that WUSTL did not waitlist me because I was too good or not good enough. WUSTL liked me, but it just could not afford to accept me if the school could offer a space to somebody more likely to afford WUSTL and thus, attend.</p>
<p>There are so many factors that go into the admissions process, and I honestly don’t think anyone should be disheartened or discouraged that he/she was waitlisted and not accepted.</p>