I just received news of getting waitlisted at exeter. I just wanted to ask what are some ways to get off the waitlist, and also how to know what place you are on the wailist.
@sword140- I’m sorry. Go to the Waitlist thread above and read all you can about the process. Unfortunately, schools ( including PE ) will never tell you or anyone else where they stand .
All you can do right now is send them an email ( with delivery and read receipts ) and accept a place on their WL- if that’s what you want to do.
All the best and good luck.
There is not much you can do at this point. But I do have several suggestions:
- Try to gather information on why you were waitlisted. Perhaps from the AO who interviewed you, a coach, or someone else who has access to the admissions people. They will often explain what the issue was (grades, financial aid, test scores, etc)
- If you can address the deficit in some way (perhaps retake the SSAT, or show improved grades), then this helps build the argument on why you should be removed from the waitlist
- Accepted students have until April 10 to make up their minds, then and only then will the AOs have an idea of how many spots they will take off the waitlist.
- Don't pester them now, as they can't do anything until they know what the yield is.
- Wait until the week before April 10 and then send in any supplemental info to you AO. The AOs can sometimes fight for kids to get off the waitlist that they like.
- Send in a hand-written note expressing how much you want to go
If they have spots on April 10, then you might be able to make a strong argument on why you should be admitted. Don’t give up hope. Only a handful of students each year are ever taken off waitlists, but it is possible. Good luck
This info is in older threads but to make it easier for others to find today: most schools do not rank waitlists. Once they see who enrolls and how many spaces they have to fill, they look to the waitlist for applicants that fill important holes in the current student body. They may discover they need a cello player or a poet or a specific position on a team. They then look at who on the waitlist can fill that hole. That said, every AO has a few favorites on the waitlist that they are hoping can find a spot. Hope this helps.
Also note that one person declining to attend does not open up a corresponding spot on the waitlist. If a school has 100 spots to fill and sends out 120 offers of admission, only after the 21st person declines is there an empty spot. The better the school is at managing its yield, the slimmer the odds of any movement on the WL. That’s why many schools never go to the WL at all and even end up a bit overenrolled (which means they will send out fewer offers the following year). Also note that some WLs are as deep (or deeper) than the size of the incoming class and, as @chemmchimney said above, they are not ranked. WLs benefit the schools, not you.
So, if you are fortunate to have an acceptance, take it, and don’t look back. Love the school that loves you and don’t think twice about removing your name from a list from which you are not coming off.
@sgopal2 - For gathering information about the reason for the waitlist decision, do you think that reaching out to the interviewing AO should/could be done next week? Later? It’s hard to know what would be the appropriate timeframe; we want to express continued enthusiasm as opposed to being annoying. Thank you for any advice! 
@earthmonkey the gathering of the info should be done indirectly IMHO. If the parents do it, then it comes across as being too helicopter-ish. If you have no other choice, then have the student pick up the phone and call the AO. Email won’t work, as they don’t want to put anything into writing.
The best way is having someone indirectly approach on the kid’s behalf: coach, principal of current school, etc. This way you will get an honest answer. The best time for this is in the next week or so. Many schools are on spring break now, so its best to gather the information soon.
Once you have an idea on why the waitlist decision was rendered, come up with a plan to address the deficiencies. Be proactive, and address the weaknesses head on. In the week leading up to April 10, send a written communication to the AO assigned to you, outlining how the deficiencies are being addressed. This is why it is so important to get honest feedback. If you approach the AO in a direct manner via email, they will give a meaningless reply “too many good applicants this year”. So its hard to construct an argument against that.
The key dates to followup and show continued interest are on April 9 and April 11. If any offers off the waitlist are issued, most likely they will be on April 11. The second batch of waitlist offers are usually during the summer after the first tuition payment is due. The next round is right before move-in day.
As @Choatiemom explains, the schools have dozens of waitlists: Grade 9 boys boarders, Grade 9 boys day, Grade 10 girls boarders, etc. So even getting onto the waitlist is an accomplishment. Sometimes you can make yourself a more attractive candidate coming off the waitlist by expressing flexibility in being day vs boarder. Day students have the advantage of not needing a physical bed, and hence they can sometimes accept more.
^lots of good advice here that may be helpful, @Center
Wow, @sgopal2, I am sooooo grateful for such thoughtful and kind advice, and for your time! Thank you, thank you!