Thanks @gardenstategal - and the 200 words to be written while accepting the spot on the waitlist will be another Why Denison essay I guess?
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Just to add another perspective on this, my son was not surprised to be waitlisted. IMO, a college with an acceptance rate in the 20s is not a safety for anyone. That said, he did demonstrate a ton of interest (campus visit, interview, essay, arts supplement, music audition, email to AO with update after applying). He is a solid student but not super high stats so was very surprised to receive high merit aid in addition to a music scholarship when he was waitlisted. His letter also included the grant aid he would receive if offered admission. For families that cannot afford private college tuition without assistance, it is really hard to see an offer like that that is basically a “maybe” knowing how rare they are. So yes, he will accept the waitlist spot and we are grateful for it. It’s just a little hard to know how to feel.
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@Collegebound041 , yes. But this is also a chance to add anything new to your app – if you’ve won awards, etc. And if you know you will say yes, tell them so.
It’s important to remember that schools use their WL to hit enrollment numbers. So if they are 50 students short, they want to ask the ones who will fill those seats.
For that reason, it serves nobody’s purposes to stay on the list to “see what happens”. You should do it if you really seriously would attend.
@CrazyCatMama , if he’d say yes in a heartbeat, make sure he says that. Fingers crossed for you. They want kids who want to be there…
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Do you think they will differentiate between kids who reply immediately and kids who prefer to wait right uptil the 1st of April and then accept the spot?
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If they want to know by April 1, no. I seriously doubt there will be any revirw of the WL before then.
They picked that date because that is the date by which all schools have released decisions. Students holding acceptances to schools they prefer to Denison should not have any need to “clutter” the WL at that point.
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I could not agree more about the demonstrated interest when it comes to Denison. My daughter was accepted (3.9 UW GPA 6 APs, test optional). She has visited the campus twice (from NC). She did the Denison tour, interviewed and was the only student who attended the info session when the Denison rep visited her high school. She completed the why Denison essay. It was her first choice, not her safety and based on the stats of some of the kids who got wait-listed her interest is what gave her an edge. I can’t blame the school for preferring kids who really want to be at their school and not just a back-up.
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My S received a marketing type email today purportedly from some Denison students which said “we are so excited to hear you’ve committed to Denison…” Except he hasn’t committed. Or at least he doesn’t think he did. Denison is definitely a top contender, but he’s still deciding.
Did others in the same boat get this email? Do you think he needs to call admissions to clarify?
Thanks
I believe the students are saying congratulations on your admission, not your commitment.
Sounds like he got a revised email that indicated “acceptance” rather than “commitment” …… Must have been a typo! Thanks
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Ah, got it, admitted but not accepted the spot.
We went to the Admitted Students events. It was very impressive. The President’s speech was excellent about the things that make Denison unique. He said the acceptance rate was about 20% this year and they really looked at the applicants’ personal qualities as well as their academic records. I was very impressed with how nice and friendly the students were all over campus, not just the official tour guides. We got to hear student musicians and a cappella groups and about how they help students prepare for internships and graduate schools. They were setting up for a student festival Friday night that looked really fun. The Recreation Center had a lot to offer, even for non-athletes. Got some of the famous Whit’s Custard in Granville. Looks like a really nice small college experience.
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We attended admitted students day this past week and had a great visit! Sunday night they had on-campus events for parents and students. Cocktail reception for parents and a “scavenger hunt”, (which was really just a relaxed tour that ended with dinner at the Moonies), for the students. The main admitted students day was Monday, which was all very impressive and gave us a great feel of the school.
For my son, the event on Sunday night was a game changer, and probably the biggest selling point of the whole event. Separating the students from parents and putting them together with current and admitted students, was a brilliant idea. (They were also the only school that did anything like this, based on our other revisits). At first I was afraid the labeled “scavenger hunt” would be lame and even a turn off (they really should rename that), but it was a great way for the new admits to meet each other and socialize with current students in a relaxed setting. My son made several new friends on Sunday night, and connected with all of them on IG before the event ended on Sunday. He felt really good about everyone he met on Sunday, and went into Monday’s admit day feeling that he had found his new home.
Monday just helped confirm that even more (for all of us) and I am happy to say that my son has committed to Denison for the class of 2026! We all enjoyed the visit, and felt right at home with the strong sense of community at Denison. Since then a couple of his newfound friends have also committed, so he is excited that he will see a few familiar faces when he arrives in August!
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Congrats! Everything at Denison was A+ and they seem to care about the student experience so much. If my husband and I could have committed, we would!
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Congratulations! My son is a Denison junior and we are visiting Granville this week to catch a couple of track meets - first time we’ve been able to come for more than two years because we live overseas and have had to deal with very restrictive Covid travel rules. Denison is really a wonderful school, and our son is loving his time here. He works with the Admissions team and was involved in the admitted students day activities, so it was particularly nice to read that your family’s experience was so positive. It probably didn’t hurt that you had the beautiful weather, just before it dropped back down into the 40’s on Tuesday! One thing your son might want to think about is joining one of the pre-orientation trips that happen the week before the regular orientation in August. My son did the canoeing trip, and it was a great way to get to know some of his new classmates as well as the professor who led the trip - a nice way to ease into the year.
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