<p>I take all these "reputation" things with a grain of salt. Every kid I know who goes to Wash U got in RD. It's not all that popular around here, though, so I might not be aware of tons of kids on the waitlist. I think some of the Ivies may be just as bad, or worse, in that respect: a wait list big enough to fill an entire class, and no prospect of admitting more than a dozen, if that. But in those cases everyone knows that waitlisting is the moral equivalent of rejection, with a lottery ticket.</p>
<p>On the other hand, I'm perfectly happy to laugh at Wash U because of the marketing barrage.</p>
<p>Menlo, I believe it's a function of geography and of a HS's relationship with Wash U. Kids from around here apply early or regular; get accepted or deferred in early round and get accepted or rejected RD. I don't know anyone who got waitlisted over the last few years, and Wash U's yield rate in my area is very high. Doesn't look like game playing to me. But-- Wash U is not a new concept around here (East coast metro area). I have neighbors in their 60's who are grad's; my Dr. who is in his 60's was a Wash U med school grad "back in the day" so the school has no need to prove itself-- for a school out of our immediate area it is as well known as Northwestern.</p>
<p>the geography factor is very possible. I just think it's interesting that Wash U "hides" its common data set, which would show the number of applicants, accepted students, and waitlisted students.</p>
<p>Wash U does not hide its common data set. Somehow, its admissions statistics get released to U.S. News. See <a href="http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/premium/dradmiss_2520.php%5B/url%5D">http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/premium/dradmiss_2520.php</a>
That data shows number of applicants and accepted students. Although the data doesn’t include waitlist statistics, neither does the data supplied by many other schools, including Harvard, Swarthmore, and Columbia. What I am trying to point out is that many schools create large waitlists, and many schools do not disclose the precise number of applicants offered a spot on the waitlist. In neither of those respects is Wash U is an anomaly.</p>
<p>
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On the other hand, I'm perfectly happy to laugh at Wash U because of the marketing barrage.
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</p>
<p>JHS, I don't remember them being nearly as bad with marketing as many other schools, like Harvard, for instance, who kept sending material and calling our house--more than once. And I remember being barraged with mail--seemed like everyday--from UChicago. I always liked their mailings, which I thought were very clever and well-done--but talk about a "barrage." Whew.</p>
<p>Again, I've never even been to WashU, much less to Missouri, so I don't have a stake in this. I do think, however, that the reputation for waitlisting and (over) marketing might be undeserved, or--if deserved--no more so than many other (higher-ranked) schools.</p>
<p>menloparkmom - You are right about the fact that I don't believe you. All you are doing is repeating earlier posts - that repeated earlier posts and so on. I don't need to do any research as I don't have a problem with the policies at WashU nor do I make negative posts about schools, when I have no solid basis for making them. It seems a bit ridiculous to keep on repeating posts from "veteran CC parents", who have nothing to justify their posts. What I do have is quite a bit of personal experience with WashU, which has been positive.</p>
<p>Boy, do I feel left out when I hear about the WashU marketing. It's been a few years now (more for D), but I am absolutely postive that we got very few mailings from WashU, much less than from many other schools (maybe 1 or 2 for each kid). Wonder what about us caused us to get skipped--my kids definitely checked the get-mail box at the PSATs, as many other schools blitzed us. Weird.....</p>
<p>sheeshST2,
I'm glad you've had a positive personal experience with Wash U. It is a great U. But just because you haven't experienced what others have, doesn't make them or their reporting of it "ridiculous". Others have experienced having having many qualified students in a class waitisted by Wash U,and none rejected, whcih is quite a contrast to what typically happens. Your experience, however positive, does not negate the experiences of others. There is no need to take the criticism of Wash U's quirky marketing or admissions decisions personally.</p>
<p>Way to back up your statements with facts. Sounds like a statement based on something solid "having many qualified students in a class waitisted by Wash U,and none rejected". I don't take it personal. Don't like my kids to gossip or repeat rumors and I like it even less when adults do it.</p>
<p>As a total outsider (not one single mailing from WashU!) I think there is a confusion about WashU's practices. The question is not so much whether WashU waitlists kids who should be accepted, but that it does not seem to reject many applicants outright; instead, it waitlists them. It is akin to Harvard's practice of deferring massive numbers of EA applicants instead of rejecting them outright, unlike other schools that do not dangle such false hopes.
WashU's quirky admission policies aside, it is a great school. I do not believe I've read a single post arguing it is not.</p>
This is incorrect. Some colleges post their common data set on line -- if Washington U. does, I can't find it. The CDS does include waitlist statistics -- it is item #C2 on the form -- number of students placed on waiting list, number accepting a spot, and number admitted.</p>
<p>Wash U does not post its CDS on its own website, but detailed admissions statistics are posted on the US News website (for a fee -- premium online edition). I assume those statistics come to U.S. News from the university itself. Omitted for Wash U on U.S.News (as well as for many other schools, as noted above) are waitlist statistics.</p>
<p>This is not an example of over-marketing. People received a large packet. WashU has been described, rightly or wrongly, as sending multiple packets (of unknown size, at least to me). We live a stone's throw from Harvard and never got a single packet from it or from Princeton (S picked up one when he went to the info session), as my kids did not check the box on their PSAT forms.</p>
<p>But for some reason, S2 received at least ten (very thin) letters from UT-Dallas urging him to apply and promising $$$, even after he'd started college. As I said, though, nothing from WashU.</p>
<p>marite: I think that when schools, as selective as Harvard, send out unsolicited mass mailings of its applications to students all over the country (most of whom wouldn't stand a chance of getting in), I think that can be considered heavy marketing (if not over-marketing). That's simply my perspective.</p>
<p>Back in 2005, I think we received one mailing from WashU (no more). As I remember, much more information arrived, repeatedly, from other schools--most notably UChicago. Again, we enjoyed looking through them all. It was fun to critiqute and compare all the mailings we got. UChicago's was, by far, the best. The team that puts those together should be congratulated. Still . . . that's a lot of paper.</p>
<p>I have to agree with the poster above, too, that I often think people just keep repeating rumors, with nothing really solid to back up those rumors. I honestly don't think WashU (again, from my 2005 perspective) was anywhere close to the marketing we saw from other schools. As stated before, we also had no experience with regard to their apparent "waitlisting" issue.</p>
<p>Since I did not receive mailings from Harvard, I conclude that I live in the wrong zip code. Harvard, like other colleges, is not able to predict who will be interested. That's why there is a blitz. And the blitz occured, I believe, because Harvard wanted to publicize its new financial aid initiative. So it sent mailings to areas and to people that, on the face of it, were not likely prospects. But it sounds to me, from reading that thread, that it did not send multiple packages. Now, UT-Dallas accumulated letters probably would not stack as high as a single Harvard or WashU or Chicago package. But ten of them? That's what I call over-marketing. </p>
<p>Anyway, I think we need to draw a line between a college's marketing strategy, admissions criteria, waitlisting or deferral policies, and the quality of education it provides. </p>
<p>Finally, I don't know how a thread that was about financial aid at top colleges has morphed into a discussion of marketing.</p>
<p>Caltech Students Receive Academic Merit Awards</p>
<p>PASADENA, Calif.--The California Institute of Technology has presented 48 undergraduate students with merit awards, which are based exclusively on a student's outstanding scholastic achievement, faculty recommendations, and demonstrated research productivity.</p>
<p>The one-year merit award stipends range from $5,000 to full tuition plus room and board for an academic year. Of the 48 winners, nine received awards in the highest amount of full tuition plus room and board; seven received awards of full tuition; 18 were recipients of awards that covered partial tuition; and 14 students received scholarships of $5,000.</p>
<p>The 2007-08 merit awards are made possible by the Stuart Foundation (Carnation Merit Scholarships), Lew and Edie Wasserman (Caltech Upperclass Merit Awards), the John Stauffer Scholarship (earmarked for chemistry and chemical engineering majors), and the Rosalind W. Alcott Scholarship.</p>
<p>With an outstanding faculty, including five Nobel laureates, and such off-campus facilities as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Palomar Observatory, and the W. M. Keck Observatory, Caltech is one of the world's leading research universities. The Institute also conducts instruction in science and engineering for a student body of approximately 900 undergraduates and 1,200 graduate students, who maintain a high level of scholarship and intellectual achievement. U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Caltech's undergraduate and graduate programs among the nation's best.</p>