I got waitlisted CIT and MCS. Does everyone get the option of PRIORITY waitlist? What are my chances if I am on the priority list? Since I’m on priority for two colleges do I have a double the chance? Thanks
Anyone waitlisted at cmu please reply. I want to know if your letter mentioned anything about priority.
I too was waitlisted for CMU, and I was given the option of being on the priority waitlist. I’m not sure exactly what this entails but it does seem that I’ll have an advantage over the regular waitlisted applicants. And yes, my letter did mention priority. According to CMU’s FAQ, they usually take 50 students from this list.
My son and another boy we know here in Colorado were put onto a "priority wait list " for SCS. I am starting to think its a gimmick to get kids to sign up because as I read the letter it says they will bump him to the regular wait list
if he is not offered a spot on May 6. So in other words, its possible all wait listed CMU students are given “priority” until they fill the early spots then they leave you on a list in case anyone changes their mind later, and reject you mid summer anyway. Wait lists are psychologically difficult. The CMU letter tries to give hope to an impossible situation that should not have much hope, is my interpretation. The word “priority” seems to be a way to sell the students on the wait list program.
It seems that everyone here was offered priority waitlist. I was too. Let’s just hope people who were not granted priority waitlist did not bother to post.
I asked around in school and three people were waitlisted. All have the option of priority so nothing special.
CMU sent the crazy explanation about priority wait list via snail mail. All students should simply sign up for priority OR ignore CMU’s letter altogether and pay for another school… Its very stupid for CMU to tier their wait list, insulting to students! REALLY they cannot force you to to go CMU off a wait list so anyone who wants to try for a spot, PUT PRIORITY of course. Does CMU really think wait listed students are stupid or what? Or are they stupid?
@Coloradomama not exactly, by putting priority u will be notified by May 4th, which most likely means CMU will tell u whether there is a position on the waitlist before ur other waitlist schools (if you have any). Because there is a 72 hour time constraint on the response, you will most likely not be able to see all ur other waitlist results by that time. Thus, you are given a choice to wait till June or so like most schools or (fill in the blank).
Well that really depends. Many schools start to wade through their wait lists on May 1st and make calls from May 1 to May 5, is our experience with wait lists. Our older son got onto two, Vanderbilt U and Pomona College and got an offer from Pomona College on May 4.
@XAtlas Here is the strategy I would suggest for any double wait listed student who is undecided–get onto BOTH wait lists, priority at CMU and regular elsewhere. If get off CMU first, PAY DEPOSIT. Wait for other, then make up mind. There is no reason to let CMU tell a student they must prioritize CMU. NO STUDENT MUST DO THAT. Do what is best which is take the spot, pay to hold it, and wait for Cal Tech or MIT to admit or give the final boot! There may be a reject in July from Cal Tech, so this is the only sensible strategy for any student who may well want to attend CMU, and does not want to attend the college they payed on May 1st! Good luck.
Hence, I said most likely because I often here of students hearing back mid May and early June. Where did your older son end up going by the way?
Anyone know the chances off priority for CMU? Know anyone or have any statistics?
According to successful applicants who made it out of the PWL in the past, they sent an essay after they accepted to be on the PWL listing all additional accomplishments/grades/ internships/ lab exp/ jobs since putting in their application on dec 31st. Some even got additional letters of recomendation to make their application stand out. Good luck to those waiting to hear back
@XAtlas Older son is a junior at Case Western Reserve U, he turned down Pomona College for the broader curriculum and graduate classes in physics and math at Case. Case offers a combined math and physics major that is unique in that it focuses on kids who want to do applied math/physics. He works on nonlinear dynamics, using supercomputers to make calculations with a theoretical biophysics program at Case Western. We were astonished with the depth of research for undergrads at Case Western in physics, economics and math. Older son got a physics REU at U of Maryland for an NSF program for ten weeks. and expects to go to graduate school. Younger son, we payed for GT , not going to go down the priority wait list path at CMU, as we don’t want to wait more and feel GT is a bit better for younger son than CMU’s small intense atmosphere. Its also easier to fly to Atlanta than Pittsburgh. We are done!
@XAtlas I feel as though GT is intense as well but congratulations on sending all your boys to college.
Thanks @XAtlas ! GT is similar to MIT and CMU for difficulty. But it offers many other majors like international policy, accounting, business and computer media and students are allowed to freely move between these majors. GT is a lot bigger, in overall size, more techy focused and accepts some students with way less preparation than CMU can with its 147 seat CS department. CMU pushes for half girls (not sure where they are at this year?) and GT is at 40% so for boys, GT is easier right now!
CMU is more like a small Ivy league school in student body and variety of studies, although super strong in engineering and CS. The point being very few seats so hard to get in.
GT is a state school, with an undergraduate student body of almost 15,000 students with about 70% of students from Georgia, and this year, 50% of the Department of Computing from Georgia high schools. The AMC is not required for GT admissions, and while technically its not required for CMU CS department, as you point out in other posts, a good AMC/AIME/Math Olympiads/ARML scores are one way to get into CMU for CS. We know a boy who got into CMU CS without a good AMC score or any math competitions this year, in his case he did summer research with a CMU robotics faculty and one summer school class in physics , with a good grade, and that probably helped him get in.
Checked the page today. Something new is up.
“Entrance Counseling - Undergraduate” not received.
Good sign or bad sign or doesn’t mean anything?
@mutiyo Entrance Counseling is a required preliminary step for all first time loan-borrowers. It’s nothing more than that.
Should I send in a letter of continuing interest? If so, when?
I think priority waitlist is just a gimmick cmu uses to get people sign up so that they can fill the spots. The so called priority waitlist is highly unreliable. According to past threads, they can even move you to the regular waitlist at will when the time comes. Only the few lucky ones got admitted so it’s kinda like false hope. I will def choose other choices I have over PWL…