What are the chances of getting of GDS wait list? Super strong candidate. Admissions counselor said in all her years that our kid was one of the best. We did need financial aid. Could that be it? What are the chances of getting off wait list and what would help?
No one can chance anyone for getting off a WL because 1) No one knows why your student was wait listed and 2) WLs are used to fill holes left by those who choose not to matriculate. So, if a hole is for a female dancer, no males stand a chance. If a hole is for a male soccer player, the female dancer doesn’t stand a chance. If all FA has been allocated, then no student requiring FA has a shot unless an FA admit declines and returns adequate funds to the pool. See how this works?
Wait lists can be deep (even more than the number of admitted students) and are not ranked. Also, one student declining an offer of admission ≠one student pulled from the waitlist.
The waitlist operates as a safety net for the school and, in a good year, it will never be used. The schools plan on a certain percentage of their offers being declined. If and only if the actual number exceeds that figure will there be movement on the waitlist due to inadequate enrollment, so to get off the WL, a school will have to have over-estimated its yield rate. Then, when a school does go to the WL, it is to replace the profile of a student who declined. I know this can be hard to hear when you are waiting, but it does help to explain why a school may not go to its WL even if you know kids who have declined spots or, due to a profile match, why one kid gets off the WL over another.
We have a pinned thread that runs the gamut on how to deal with wait lists. You might start with this classic response which pretty much covers it.
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This is helpful. I’m guessing it’s because we need financial aid and I’m guessing not ideal profile for a kid that should get aid. Doesn’t check right boxes.
Our kid is literally top of grade and had seven rec letters, amazing EC’s, great interview… the counselor said that our kid was basically a shoe in … but what to do if you can’t swing that kind of tuition?
Good luck and hope that your kid gets accepted and FA by other schools applied.
Today there are so many applicants with different qualifications for top schools, it could be many other “reasons” or even not because of any sensible “reason”, not necessarily tuition/FA. I knew one kid got onto WL by his secondary school, but he eventually got accepted by his first dream school with FA which is overall a far better school from any sense. Even say, our kid has a “perfect” profile for application this year without FA, we are extremely nervous but might be not surprised if he did not get to the dream school.
Education is a long journey, M10 is just one small part of it, good luck
Schools do look at how much financial aid you need. I believe GDS is not need-blind. So if you needed a lot of aid, versus a few thousand dollars, that would count against you.
I’m also in DC area but we didn’t apply to the DC city schools for next year. Best of luck to you!
Edit: there is a local web board DCUM that discusses DC privates. A lot of spectacular candidates didn’t get into GDS this year. In particular this school seems to want a certain type.
It is need blind on admissions, but now some horror stories on lack of financial aid provided. Only 22% of kids get FA.
Honestly 22% aid is a pretty decent number, plus the gate to qualify FA is pretty strict …, I don’t see many top schools cover higher % in FA though.
Most schools, at least BS, do more than 22%. Some do more than 50%. It’s pretty hard to have a commitment to SES diversity without that.
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