CWRU Waitlist FAQs

Colleges and Universities A-Z Case Western Reserve University
1

1) What chance do I have in getting admitted off the waitlist?"

From 2022-2023
Offered place on wait list: 11620
Number accepting place on wait list: 6056
Accepted from list: 436
436/6056= ~7%

From 2021-2022
Offered place on wait list: 11494
Number accepting place on wait list: 4992
Accepted from list: 364
364/4922= ~7%

From: 2020-2021
Offered place on wait list: 9760
Number accepting place on wait list: 4921
Accepted from list: 1076
1076/4921= ~22%

From 2019-2020
Offered place on wait list: 10,375
Number accepting place on wait list: 5,661
Accepted from list: 209
209/5661 = ~3%

From 2018-2019
Offered place on wait list: 9,908
Number accepting place on wait list: n/a
Accepted from list: 0

From 2017-2018
Offered place on wait list: 7,178
Number accepting place on wait list: 4,252
Accepted from list: 586
586/4252 = ~13%

From 2016-2017:
Offered place on wait list: 9,293
Number accepting place on wait list: 4,732
Accepted from list: 333
333/4732 = ~7%

In 15-16 it was 518/5,119 - 10%
In 14-15: 792/4670 - 17%
In 04-05: 151/506 - 30%

https://case.edu/ir/cds/

(Thanks @summr99T )

2) If you are admitted off the waitlist, do you get merit scholarships?

Yes! here is an example of someone who was offered merit from the waitlist.

"As we enter the final weekend before the National Candidate’s Reply Deadline of May 1, we have closely monitored the responses to our initial offers of admission and it appears that we will have a limited number of places available to admit students from the wait list. I am contacting you because you have indicated your interest in Case Western Reserve, and we would like to be able to consider your candidacy for the Class of 2018.

If you are offered admission, you will also be offered a scholarship of $25,000 per year. If you qualify for additional financial aid, we have also prepared a preliminary financial aid award for you, which you can view by logging into our financial aid portal at http://financialaid.case.edu/myfinancialaid.aspx. You will need your activated CWRU Network ID to login. Instructions on activating your ID are below.

Once you have reviewed this information, (and your financial aid, if applicable,) you will need to get in touch with us as soon as possible at admission@case.edu or 216.368.4450. Admission counselors will be answering the phone between 9 AM and 5 PM EST on Saturday and Sunday, and responding to email throughout the weekend.

The admission committee will also be meeting throughout the weekend, and we want to be able to extend offers of admission as quickly as possible to students like you who are most interested in becoming part of the Case Western Reserve community. Please be in touch with us as quickly as possible to let us know of your interest and with any questions you may have.

Once again, if you are interested in being admitted from the wait list and your scholarship and aid package makes it possible for you to attend, it is imperative that you respond to this email right away with an indication of your level of interest."

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1644476-possible-admission-from-waitlist-email.html

3) How do I tell CWRU I am still interested/not interested in remaining on the waitlist?

In the past, beginning April 1 Case will contact you weekly to see if you are still interested.

For example:

"Beginning April 1 and throughout the course of the spring, we will be in touch with you weekly via email to provide you with an opportunity to keep Case Western Reserve informed of your plans and your interest in remaining on the wait list. If we are able to offer admission to any students on the wait list, we will use the responses to these emails to identify interested students, so it will be important that you respond each week if you remain interested. When we contact you, I hope you will elect to remain on the wait list.

We remain optimistic we will be able to offer admission to a number of qualified students from the wait list. In recent years, Case Western Reserve has admitted as few as 40 and as many 800 students from the wait list. We have begun offering admission to students on the wait list as early as April 15, but offers are often extended in the final week of April and throughout the month of May.

As a reminder, all students who are admitted from the wait list:
are considered for merit scholarships (about 75% of the U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents who were admitted from the wait list last year received a scholarship)
are considered for need-based financial aid if they would otherwise qualify
are guaranteed on-campus housing"

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/case-western-reserve-university/1869476-wait-listed-for-class-of-2020-p1.html

4) When would I hear if I am accepted off the waitlist?

Starting April 15, but offers are often extended in the final week of April and throughout the month of May.

5) Is the Waiting List Ranked?

No.

See Section C2 of the Common Data Set.

https://case.edu/ir/media/caseedu/institutional-research/documents/pdfs/2017-2018-CDS.pdf

6) Why wasn’t there a waitlist in 2019?

Case has in the last few years had a waiting list. They do that because they want to guarantee housing so they accept a certain amount, and as those students enroll or not, they fill in the rest with students from the waitlist so they can both fill the housing but not overfill.

So in the past they may have taken 100s of people off the waitlist, e.g.
In 17-18: 586
In 16-17: 333
In 15-16 518
In 14-15: 792

CWRU was known for taking many people off the waitlist. So you would think if you didn’t get accepted right away, that is okay, you had a good chance with the WL. And you would get offered the same merit scholarships as anyone who was accepted immediately.

But in 2018-2019 they had more enrollments than expected…a much better yield…and took 0 off the waitlist. Case admissions felt bad…they had been working with many students…so they decided to offer those that were the most highly qualified and highly interested a gap year…with guaranteed admittance for the next fall. They have since changed that to the spring if the student wants it. I don’t know how many students they offered this to nor how many accepted it.

7. Do some students get Spring Admission?

In 2019 some students on the WL got this email:

"I am writing with a very important update regarding your application for admission to Case Western Reserve University. We have been closely monitoring the responses to our initial offers of admission, and we do not yet know whether we will be able to offer additional places in the class from our wait list for the fall semester.

However, while it is still possible we could have room to offer you admission for the fall of 2019, I am very happy to inform you that you are being offered admission for the spring semester of 2020. Official notice will be in your applicant portal in the coming days, but I wanted to let you know as quickly as possible about this exciting opportunity.

As a spring admit, you would join the University in January of 2020 as a first-year student. Housing is guaranteed. During the fall, you are free to pursue a variety of options, such as work, travel, internships, community service, or taking courses as a non-matriculated (non-degree) student at another college or university.

We will ask you to accept your offer of admission for the spring of 2020 by May 5, 2019. Accepting your offer would not remove you from consideration for the fall should space become available, but it will secure your place at Case Western Reserve starting next January.

Again, watch for an announcement in the coming days to view your updated status in your applicant portal for the official offer of admission."

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5) Is the Waiting List Ranked?

No.

See Section C2 of the Common Data Set.

https://case.edu/ir/media/caseedu/institutional-research/documents/pdfs/2017-2018-CDS.pdf

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From 2017-2018
Offered place on wait list: 7,178
Number accepting place on wait list: 4,252
Accepted from list: 586

586/4252 = ~13%

4

If the CWRU freshman class is about 1300 students, and, in recent years, of those about 300 to 586 come from a waitlist, that means that about 714 to 1000 students who got into Case accept their offer. This year with ED 1 and ED 2 rounds, those numbers may be significantly different. Can we find out how many ED’s were accepted this year @bopper?

Thats a large number of students placed on a waitlist, but if they really need about 300 more students this year, I understand why they do that. For a small school like Case, 300 students is a large number. So call and express interest, be a squeaky wheel and perhaps it will work out for you. I have heard calling Case right away and saying
its your favorite school and you will go there, may help get off the waitlist, but things could be different this year.

They may manage their waitlist differently this year. Its a hard problem to fill a class of 1300 students,
when yield is in the middle. But its the game of college admissions. Difficult for students on the waitlist
and difficult for the CWRU Admissions team.

5

@Coloradomama I don’t see ED % info in the CWRU Common Data Set, but I did see on collegedata dot com from last year:

Early Decision Admission Rate 40% of 358 applicants were admitted
Early Action Admission Rate 48% of 10200 applicants were admitted

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Sure most of you may have received the email this afternoon. Here is excerpt.

Beginning this week, Case Western Reserve will provide estimated financial aid packages to students on the wait list who have indicated an interest in need-based aid and completed both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Students who would qualify for scholarship if they were to be admitted from the wait list will be notified at the same time.

Beginning this week and throughout the course of the spring, we will be in touch with you weekly via email to provide you with an opportunity to keep Case Western Reserve informed of your plans and your interest in remaining on the wait list. If we are able to offer admission to any students on the wait list, we will use the responses to these emails to identify interested students, so it will be important that you respond each week if you remain interested. When we contact you, I hope you will elect to remain on the wait list.

We remain optimistic we will be able to offer admission to a number of qualified students from the wait list. In recent years, Case Western Reserve has admitted as few as 40 and as many 800 students from the wait list. We have begun offering admission to students on the wait list as early as April 14, but offers are often extended in the final week of April and throughout the month of May.

As a reminder, all students who are admitted from the wait list:

are considered for merit scholarships (about 75% of the U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents who were admitted from the wait list last year received a scholarship)
are considered for need-based financial aid if they would otherwise qualify
are guaranteed on-campus housing
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We were sent out financial package today

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International Student. My email was different

Because Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing an outstanding educational experience to all our students, including maintaining our small class sizes and providing housing options to any student we admit, we have chosen to be conservative with our initial offers of admission this year. Combined with the increase in applications, this means many qualified students were asked to take a place on our wait list this year.

I’m writing to provide you with a brief update on how Case Western Reserve will communicate with applicants taking a place on the wait list.

Beginning this week and throughout the course of the spring, we will be in touch with you weekly via email to provide you with an opportunity to keep Case Western Reserve informed of your plans and your interest in remaining on the wait list. If we are able to offer admission to any students on the wait list, we will use the responses to these emails to identify interested students, so it will be important that you respond each week if you remain interested. When we contact you, I hope you will elect to remain on the wait list.

We remain optimistic we will be able to offer admission to a number of qualified students from the wait list. In recent years, Case Western Reserve has admitted as few as 40 and as many 800 students from the wait list. We have begun offering admission to students on the wait list as early as April 14, but offers are often extended in the final week of April and throughout the month of May.

As a reminder, all students who are admitted from the wait list are guaranteed on-campus housing.

9

Has everyone who was waitlisted received their first email about accepting a place on it? My D got this today.

Also, has everyone waitlisted received a mock up of what your financial aid offer would be if you were accepted? My D received this yesterday.

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Yes, we have received for my S too. Not sure how long it will take for final decision?

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Yeah, not sure if we should ever be hopeful. Thousands are on the waitlist.

12

Last year: 586 students were admitted off the waitlist of the 1308 students who enrolled.

https://case.edu/ir/media/caseedu/institutional-research/documents/pdfs/2017-2018-CDS.pdf

13

we also got a mock numbers.

14

Thanks for that link and stats, @bopper . Just hard for me to figure where my D stands. Would hate to get hopes up again.

15

@Winky1 our numbers are certainly different then your numbers that you edited. I have to admit seriously debating, accept the Northwestern generous offer we just received today and free up CWRU slot.

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@PPofEngrDr , Case truly met our demonstrated need if they ever wind up offering that offer. That’s the thing, my D has been deferred and now waitlisted, and we have demonstrated need. I am just reluctant to think they will accept her.

If your son got into Northwestern with a generous offer, you have nothing to lose if you choose to wait it out until close to May 1st. Unless Northwestern gives preference to housing for those who have deposited. Or if you don’t mind losing a deposit at Northwestern if CWRU comes through for you guys. I wouldn’t give up a spot on the waitlist at Case if your son could really honestly entertain going to Case if the financial aid offer was solid. If you are all set on Northwestern, though, then I would give up the Case waitlist.

Keep us posted, please.

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@Winky1 tbh, as a parents my preference is Northwestern. Even other elite schools for UG offers generously, CWRU mock numbers are generous too, Northwestern has home ground advantage (we live in suburbs) and another big factor is UG research in windy city. Unless another elite UG school that has much better UG research than Northwestern, my vote in family is for Northwestern. Ofc, ultimate decision is his.
My view point is lots of family like us are juggling this crunch time and if you are 90%+ certain about a college then I would start rejecting other admissions that you are 90%+ certain not going, so that it helps everyone. We may continue CWRU waitlist for another week b4 pulling out.

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Not trying to convince you as NW is excellent too, but Case has a great undergraduate research program
https://case.edu/source/

19

My son was waitlisted too. Estimated financial aid is high-package, with $5500 of loans, was $55,000. Unfortunately, we’re kind of stuck being wait-listed. He had given up on Case and he’s afraid to get his hopes up. Additionally, we worry that aid would only be for one year.

1 Like
20

@bopper thanks for info.