My son just got waitlisted at Clemson, which is his # 1 choice. He got into Elon, High Point & Tampa, so there must have been a pretty competitive applicant pool this year at Clemson. He really wants to go to Clemson. What can he do to improve his chances of coming off the waitlist ? Has anyone else had experience where your child was waitlisted and eventually was accepted. If so what was your experience & what did you do, if anything to help the cause ?
thanks.
Clemson’s average SAT/ACT scores are significantly higher than those of the other universities you mentioned, so it’s not too surprising that Clemson might waitlist someone accepted at the other 3 schools. You might want to do some internet research as to how many waitlisted students last year were eventually admitted. You could also call Clemson’s admissions office to ask this question. However, last year’s statistics may not be relevant this year. Your son and his guidance counselor should probably contact Clemson expressing continued interest in the school. If your son has had any awards or higher grades or test scores since he applied, he may want to submit this information. You might also want to post your question on the Clemson sub-forum, if you haven’t already done so.
If you are ranking those schools from top to bottom: Tampa then High Point. Elon’s SAT avg. scores were 1865 for the incoming freshman class
Hi, I got waitlisted by Clemson and am confused as to why as my academics reach above their averages. I have a 3.77 unweighted GPA and a 29 ACT. I have also gotten in to harder academic requirement schools than Clemson like the University of Florida and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. It is tied for my number one choice. I was wondering why this happened and if there is anything I can do to better my chances at acceptance.
Has anyone called? Has anyone heard back? I know that officially candidates will hear after May 1st but in 2013 some applicants heard back in mid-April.
@SQBrit my questions exactly. I called last week hoping that maybe they started looking at the waitlist and the receptionist said they didn’t start looking until May (she sounded pretty clueless on the whole thing to be honest).
*ps made this account so I could answer your question!
My daughter was accepted to Clemson, but had already decided by the time she got her letter that she did not want to go there. She occasionally gets reminders to pay her deposit, sign up for email, etc., but there is never any information on how to let them know if you’ve decided not to enroll. So, I don’t think there would be any reason for them to look at the waitlist if they are assuming everyone admitted is coming. I’m sure lots of people will be hearing from them shortly after the May 1 deadline.
This is my oldest child, so I haven’t been through this before, but this is one of the things about the admissions process that puzzles me. None of the other schools to which she has been accepted seem to want to hear “no” before the deadline either, even though I’m sure they all have lists of people waiting who would like to enroll, but may move on to other schools and change their minds by the time they hear about the waitlist!
@larryo - I think your side of the story explains perfectly why the waitlisted candidates WONT hear back until after May :-S Practically, every one I know is waitlisted somewhere. Honestly, we are good with our choices but somewhere at the back of my mind, I wonder if I’m going to be hopping on a plane in May/June (with very little advanced notice) to check out that school that calls at the 11th hour!
I’ve also been placed on the wait list at Clemson. I understand that those accepted off the waitlist are to fill in the last available spots. What I’m wondering is that if some people are accepted off the waitlist and choose not to attend, do they accept others off the waitlist that are notified at a later date to fill those spots?
My son got a call from admissions yesterday. He called back today and was accepted off the waitlist. There is hope! He already deposited at FSU but ya never know. They are mailing the info out for him so we shall see what he decides to do. Good luck to everyone else. Sure wish they had just accepted him right away. By the way, he was entering as undecided.
My son received an email today offering admission off the waitlist. Details will be included in his acceptance letter promised later this week. I have to agree with the previous poster: wished they had accepted him already. Like most students at this stage, he has already plunked down a deposit for another school: our state flagship Umass Amherst. We’ve never visited Clemson as that trip was intended following admission and before May 1st. A decision to visit will be made after the letter is received I guess. :-?
SQBrit: Son was accepted off of waitlist also.Letter arriving next week…Problem is senior class trip, prom and 2 days graduation ceremonies allow little time to go visit. I called to find out WHEN he would have to deposit by. The answer was May 29…get planning that trip from Mass if you’re going to go.
@campsandybottoms - Yes, Clemson is generous with their turnaround response time. Son has shown no interest in the acceptance packet received Monday. His response was/is “they had their chance”. I checked the fin aid package, (ever hopeful that’s me) and saw that they offered the $5500 stafford loan which we intend to pay, so essentially nothing. The cost difference between Clemson and our state flagship is $20k/year = $80k total. Given son’s very tepid interest in Clemson at this point, I think the grave is dug. 
My son received his packet Monday. Financial aid was also just the stafford loan. Being from NY, he is keeping with his FLorida state choice. They gave him full out of state tuition waiver and an $1800 grant along with the stafford loan. At one point, clemson was his first choice but no longer. Oh well.