<p>from what i’ve heard, next year’s admissions is going to be EVEN tougher. :(</p>
<p>yeah everyone says the number of kids graduating will peak this year or next… so that’s really hard. at least it won’t be the year of the waitlist, like this year.</p>
<p>Is it true for other Universities too like Upenn and Duke? Cause a friend who had steller stats was waitlised at each of them.</p>
<p>well i mean… there’s waitlists everywhere. how they’re used is a little different for each school, but basically, at least i feel, you need to assume you’re not going to get in if you’re on a waitlist. think of how many kids are on the waitlist (for upenn, it’s 880) and then how many they’ll actually need. it’s a tiny number.</p>
<p>i remember counting down to march 31st… now it’s a countdown to may 1st.</p>
<p>It doesn’t come out May 1st. It usually comes out around May 15th because they need to see how many people enroll on May 1st.</p>
<p>yeah i was just saying may 1st because really anytime after that you could get notice</p>
<p>Waitlisted at Harvard and Stanford, and rejected at Yale, my top choice… 
a bit heartbroken.</p>
<p>I’m doing a bunch of stuff for Harvard, but Stanford says specifically NOT to send anything in. I’m not sure whether or not I should sent in a letter, anyway. There’s a place on their waitlist website where you can add updates, and I’ve added recent achievements [but I had to cut down a bunch], and there’s a 600 character limit. (600 characters with spaces is NOTHING!!).</p>
<p>Should I send them a short one page letter, anyway?</p>
<p>i think if they said don’t send anything, they mean it. i wouldn’t want to tick them off, especially if it’s just the usual “here’s my new stuff” letter. on the other hand, if you go to the admissions office and talk in person, i’m all for it!</p>
<p>This thread has really been a comfort in the last couple of weeks- thanks!</p>
<p>But now that I have sent a letter of interest (plus updates on an award, new rec, transcript) and follow-up (I’ll do that Monday morning)… how do I keep calling? Do I call the admissions officer or just talk to the person in the office?</p>
<p>And how will tardiness hurt me now? (I sent the update two weeks ago, but didn’t follow up.) Have I already screwed myself over in THIS process?</p>
<p>I discovered CC pretty late in the game (after being waitlisted). While it’s been helpful, it’s also opened my eyes to the competition. I had read the articles about the process and the competition, but never really understood that there was more to applying than just the application. I feel incredibly niave… We don’t have kids who are waitlisted and try to get off. I had never heard about that concept until CC!</p>
<p>I’m working on my interest letter, but can I send the update on achievements and awards later? I have an upcoming state math competition and I would like to wait to add anything to my updated list. Also how long should the interest letter be? I was thinking about a full page single spaced but now that I think about it that seems a little too much.</p>
<p>We wrote two ltrs: one for interest and one for updates. Send the update letter a couple of days later and any send updates as you accomplish things.</p>
<p>It seems like a lot of you guys here are doing a lot of things trying to get off the waitlist - letters, extra recs, calls, even more calls, etc.</p>
<p>i’m planning to only send a letter and my third quarter grades, which comparably is very little to what many of you are doing. However, I do know an alum from one of my waitlist schools, so is it a good idea to have her call and put in a word for me? If so, where should this call be directed to?</p>
<p>thanks so much.</p>
<p>A call from an alum will do you no good at getting off a waitlist. In fact, it will probably just annoy the Admissions Office staff who are already swamped with phone calls,emails, and letters at this time of year. The only exception might be if that alum actually has some “pull” – like they are head of an active alumni club, have donated lots of money, etc. and even then, it’s pretty iffy.</p>
<p>Just a polite letter indicating your continued interest and providing updated info like Q3 grades and any new awards is fine. And if you feel strongly enough – include a commitment to attend the school if you get off the waitlist.</p>
<p>And keep in mind the chances of getting off a waitlist – for anybody – are relatively slim. In other words, HOPE but don’t count on it. And be prepared to move on to another school.</p>
<p>Calls will do NOTHING. I sent ONE e-mail, and got off the waitlist at Johns Hopkins. Most of the waitlist stuff is out of your hands once you’ve expessed interest.</p>
<p>^Should we e-mail? Some people were saying snail mail is more professional</p>
<p>If I am writing a waitlist letter, who should I address it to? I don’t know who my regional officer is, I think I will call to see if I can get the name, but otherwise, should I just address it “Dear Dean of Admissions?”</p>
<p>e-mail worked very well for me. </p>
<p>Here’s the deal: Even though adcoms say its “unranked” that’s just not true. It may be “unranked” but they already have an idea of who they want to admit. If the right people show interest then they will be admited. You should show interest in case you are one of those people. In the meantime buy a sweatshirt for your school.</p>
<p>I’m speaking for schools that let less than 50 people off last year, at least. I don’t know how big WL schools do it…</p>
<p>redribbon, i think you should still call. they’ll still appreciate it. and i know what you mean about the waitlists - i wasn’t really on cc til i got waitlisted and then all of a sudden i was addicted to finding out how to get off.</p>
<p>metaldragon, i think two letters would be perfectly acceptable, but if you don’t want to wait til your competition to send just one altogether, write one now stating interest and recent achievements, and say that you’re competing in a state math competition and you’ll notify them of any achievements as they come.</p>
<p>artstar, i think what worriedmom said was great. plain old alums don’t have any pull with the school - like students, they have to have a hook to have influence</p>
<p>sup, i definitely think snail mail is better. an email is great to let them know there’s a package coming, or to ask about weaknesses in your application. an email before to tell them about the package and another to confirm that they received it would be wonderful.</p>
<p>juicy, you can definitely find out your regional officer if you call, i would think. if not, address it to the office of undergraduate admissions found on the regular “contact us” web page.</p>
<p>mastermargarita, email can work well in some cases. if that’s what works for you and the school, i think just an email is great. but if you’re not sure, i would go for everything, like i’m doing. but yes, you are completely right - buy a sweatshirt for the school to which you’re sending your deposit. i think that’s what you meant by “your school.” because chances of getting off a waitlist are so slim, it’s much better to fall in love with your backup than be completely unhappy when you don’t get off the waitlist.</p>
<p>just as an update everyone, i haven’t heard anything from any of my waitlist colleges, but i wasn’t expecting to. i’ll let you guys know of anything that happens! in the meantime, i’m in our county newspaper in the athlete’s “hot corner” of the week! :)</p>
<p>i haven’t sent in any of my waitlist letters yet (actually, haven’t even fully written any)…is this a bad thing? is it better to send it earlier than later? I’m definitely going to have it sent before May 1st since I’m sure they don’t actually reconsider waitlistees until then anyway.</p>