My DD has been waitlisted and I’m trying to figure this out…
Stats:
ExtraCurricular
** Almost recruited by D1 coach (was out entire Junior year with injury and hardly got to play this year due to Covid)
** Gold Medal for Writing & Potery in a National Competition
** Top Prize for Major Drawing and Painting Contest
** Extremely Highly Rated Peer Tutor for AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Physics 1/2/C, AP Chem, AP Bio
Academics
** Perfect GPA
** 5s in AP Calc AB, AP Physics 1/2, APUSH
** 4 in AP Eng Lang
** Currently enrolled in AP Chem, AP Bio, AP Phys C, AP Calc BC, Ap Eng Lit, Studio Art, Speech & Debate
** 1580 SAT 1 (one and only try)
** 800 SAT 2: Math2 & Physics (one and only try)
Other
** All of her teachers & counsellor assured us that their recommendations enthusiastically highlighted her “brilliance” and “dedication”
** She is a girl in STEM albeit not from a historically underrepresented ethnicity and family EFC is in 60s (although I don’t know how the Govt thinks we have that kind of cash)
The last 4 years of her life she had been justifying her 6am to midnight days, missing parties, social scene, etc. in the hopes of earning a leg up. Now, I’m trying to figure out what to say to her… and wondering, if I may, how Davidson found 500 kids more deserving than her…
Anyway, the letter asked her to stay in touch and provide any kind of updates that might help her application - any thoughts on what she could possibly add?
I got in while a friend got waitlisted. We have very similar clubs, similar GPA, same SAT, same AP Scores. The only difference was that I toured Davidson and went to some virtual admissions events well he didn’t. I say that to ask how much interest did she demonstrate, as I think that was a really big part of it? I’m thinking they waitlisted kids with good stats who didn’t show too much interest and are waiting for them to make the first move if they want to get off the waitlist, obviously I’m not 100% sure though.
Congratuliations to you Lvs for getting in and thank you for your reply!
She did, she FaceTimed with the coaches and the memebrs of the team that the coaches asked her to AND we all even went to campus to check it out for ourselves… she had and still has major interest… she feels that Davidson gives her the best opportunity to follow her D1 sport dreams and yet challenge herself academically enough… we are keeping our fingers crossed…
BTW, if I may be so bold, do you think that relative to your (and your friend’s) stats does my daughter come close? Thanks again!
My D was also waitlisted at Davidson. I share your frustration in that I’ve seen how hard she worked for so many years, only to wind up in an admissions year that was way more competitive than I could have imagined. IMHO, I think we as parents need to understand that an admissions offer, a waitlist offer, or even a denial is no indication of how “deserving” our kids are. There are a lot of deserving students who didn’t get in. Just from what I’ve seen here on CC, there are really high stats applicants who all seem to be applying to the same selective colleges. They can’t let everyone in, so there are going to be some who just miss the cut for whatever reason. But at the same time, those applicants can each only go to one school in the end. I think there’s a good chance schools will be relying more on waitlists this year. If Davidson is where your daughter has her heart set on attending, good luck to her. Otherwise, I’m sure she has some other great options with those stats.
We don’t know how many. Last year they enrolled 50 students from the waitlist. It is possible that some students might get notified before May 1. Based on forums from previous years, some students got phone calls in late April. However, I think that most waitlist offers will happen after the deposit deadline of May 1 and continuing into the summer.
@contaBella , your D sounds extremely impressive! I am sorry she did not get in . I have no insight there, but wanted to know how she did at other schools? Any other surprising results? Also, does your school typically send students to Davidson? Do they have “Naviance” and do the vast majority of students with her stats get in to Davidson? or is it rather hit and miss from the top group? What is her class rank, also.
I’m the parent of a current Davidson freshman – whose accomplishments pale a bit in comparison to your daughters’. I agree that she should craft a letter/email of continuing interest & send directly to her regional rep. She should highlight how she will fit at Davidson, not just academically, but culturally & socially. If she will definitely come if accepted no matter what, have her state that. My son wrote in his “why Davidson” short essay about wanting a school with a strong honor code & belonging to a culture of academic integrity & curiosity – that great academics could be found anywhere, but students willing to pledge not to cheat (& actually abide by the pledge) is rare.
Last year, my son & I observed students that were just a notch better than him getting waitlisted/rejected at certain schools, including some that my son got into. I think he hit the sweet spot in that he was around Davidson’s 75th%ile & got in, while other kids, like your daughter, were in the 90th%ile & got WL or denied. I think my son may have looked like a better risk on yield than your daughter. The school probably thought she will get a “better” offer from an Ivy or top 5 LAC & not enroll. Meanwhile, Davidson was probably pretty confident that my son would NOT have an Ivy offer & that a school like Davidson would likely be his strongest choice (they weren’t very wrong – it came down to Davidson & W&L – 2 very similar level schools).
Lastly, if you haven’t read Jeff Selingo’s “Who Gets In & Why” - I recommend it. He spent a year embedded in the admissions offices of U of Washington, Davidson & Emory for the app cycle of 2018-19. You will see that often the “holistic” evaluations have nothing to do with your child, but the particular needs of a school (e.g. they need a left handed guitar player from Wyoming).
I’m sure your daughter will excel at any school she goes to – good luck to her & I’ll be crossing my fingers for her to come off the WL!