<p>I currently got place on the Choate Wait list. 3 people at my school so far got accepted. 1 was African-American, 1 was Pakistani, and another had parents working at Choate. I am a Caucasian male whom applied for FA and got placed on waiting list. 1 of my friends got rejected, I am not sure about any others. We are all relatively local. Any thoughts on this? </p>
<p>Also, any information about the waiting list would be helpful such as how hard is it to get off the waiting list, what % does get moved from waiting list to the class. (preferably supported speculations)</p>
<p>be happy you got waitlisted … I got rejected at exeter choate and hotchkiss … im stil waiting for deerfield and andover but im expecting no ther new from them …</p>
<p>What does the race of the admits have to do with it? I mean - really?</p>
<p>Choate had a huge applicant pool. They, like all the other boarding schools, try to select students from various regions, experiences, etc.</p>
<p>Won’t know chances to get off waiting list because each year it’s different. If they have a lot of declines over and above the “yield” estimate you’ll have a chance. </p>
<p>Many schools don’t rank their waiting lists. So continuing to express interest and sending additional information may help. Or not. Just too many variable to tell.</p>
<p>“What does the race of the admits have to do with it? I mean - really?”
I just found it coincidental is all. So far every Caucasian applicant I have met (and there are many ) didn’t even get WListed. I was just wondering.</p>
<p>But it diminishes the kids who got in who fit those descriptions. It implies that you did not get in because you’re a white male. The reality is - if they didn’t want you, you’d be declined. And the vast majority of slots going to a single ethnicity is often white male.</p>
<p>So there is no reason why you didn’t get farther. Just that there were too many candidate for too few spots. Some they like the best, others are the back-up plan.</p>
<p>Whether you get in has nothing to do with race, but it will be heavily influenced by how many Choate admits are admitted other places and choose to decline. But normally - at the most popular schools, the admit rate from the waiting list is low.</p>
<p>Would you say Choate is one of the most popular schools? Example: On a rate 1-10 1 being least desirable 10 being the most, where would Choate fall for majority of students accepted in several schools? :S</p>
<p>Search the forum from last year for waitlist numbers. I do know there was a year in recent history when they did not go the waitlist, but I can’t remember which year it was…</p>
<p>ZP–Choate being popular is dependent on the student and family. </p>
<p>We never looked into Choate after we were not given a wavier for the application fee. I felt that if a school didnt think we qualified for this they would not give us the FA package we needed.</p>
<p>So for us Choate had no appeal. This doesnt mean it is not a great school, just not desired by our family.</p>
<p>BTW-we got full ride at Exeter, L’ville, and 95% FA at Deerfiled. My d goes to Deerfield.</p>
<p>@ExieMITAlum Actually, it does play a role. Being a URM IS influential, and gives any applicant who represents that minority (be it ethnic, geographic, etc.) an upper hand. I think we can all agree on that. </p>
<p>“Whether you get in has nothing to do with race…” How can you make such a broad statement? I’m sorry, but I immediately lose interest in what you have to say when you make such a statement. </p>
<p>“And the vast majority of slots going to a single ethnicity is often white male.” Because the vast majority of applicants are white males. It’s about percentage and proportion, not numbers (as a supposed MIT alum, I would hope you would take that into account)–for the exact same reason schools seek to meet an admit rate of 50% females, 50% males; not 543 females and 543 males. If a school has 300 spots, and they receive 1000 applicants from males and only 500 from females, they’re going to accept proportionately more females than males to meet the balance–the acceptance rate being 15% and 30%, respectively. In such a scenario, it is, in fact, “easier” for the gender minority to get in. It’s the same thing with ethnic minorities. </p>
<p>Bottom line, there’s an equilibrium institutions want to meet. They want to have a balanced student body, and that often involves favouring minorities to meet such a balance. They have to be mindful that the vast majority of applicants are white Americans, and if they want to have a balance they’re automatically going to accept proportionately more visible minorities than those who are from the majority. Thus, it is in fact “easier” to get in as a visible minority.</p>
<p>My nephew is waitlisted at choate, exeter and concord, but rejected at hotchkiss, groton and georgetown. He’s aiming for the 11th grade with full FA. What are the odds?</p>
<p>I was also waitlisted. My letter mentioned something about financial aid being a main reason why they couldn’t accept me. I don’t think it’s necessarily a matter of race–Choate is a relatively small school, and its budget for financial aid isn’t necessarily very large. At least I got into the other school I applied to. :D</p>
<p>@mmoynan I went and read some of your other colorful posts and decided that it’s hard to argue with someone that pathological daft.</p>
<p>If you want to argue semantics because a handful of qualified non-white kids got a spot when the vast majority of them went to white candidates - and at proportions higher than their actual representation in the population, then go right ahead.</p>
<p>More than 50% of all children born in the US are now ethnic minorities. And the white population is no longer the majority in a number of states. If you factor in the number of international students also accepted to boarding schools then the ratio would be closer to 50%+ minority (or will be in a few years). But that isn’t happening. Minorities are still a tiny percentage of the overall population.</p>
<p>So saying URM’s have some automatic advantage is ludicrous, frankly.</p>
<p>The original poster made race an issue when it didn’t need to be. The reality is "why wasn’t he accepted over all the other white male candidates that were - including many wonderful kids on this board. Because he wasn’t. Period. Nor were the other 1,000 kids who got bad news today. At least he got waitlisted which meant he was at least a finalist. Some people weren’t that lucky. </p>
<p>But thanks for playing. I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Want to spar - strap up with a bit more insight and experience and I’ll consider it a fair match.</p>
<p>Play? I don’t play. Nor do I spar. I’d hope someone your age wouldn’t either, but I seem to be wrong. Maybe you’re a URM who doesn’t want to feel undermined for his/her accomplishments. I wouldn’t blame you.</p>
<p>Although none of this is surprising; I didn’t think you’d like hearing what I had to say!</p>
<p>mmoynan: Schools DO NOT admit 50% girls and 50% guys. Most schools admit more guys than girls, so don’t just assume it is easier for girls to get in. Sure, being part of a minority might be helpful to getting in a school, but that does NOT make them an less qualified applicants. MANY things can give you a leg up!</p>
<p>Obviously race is a factor, but boarding schools don’t just look for racial diversity. There is economic diversity and different talents people have that schools want. </p>
<p>I was accepted into Choate as a 10th grader.</p>
<p>Got a 86% on my SSAT’s, had A’s and one B, come from a middle class family, and am asian american. Pretty average I think.</p>
<p>I had a very awkward interview, but I think the key for me was my music cd. Luckily for me, my tour guide took me to meet the music director without arranging an appointment. The director and I e-mailed back and forth over the application process about music too. I’m not sure if you would consider this a “connection” with the school, but I’m sure it had some factor into my acceptance. </p>
<p>Last year, I applied to Andover for 9th grade and got flat out denied. I tried again this year with much more effort and applied to more than one school. I ended up getting waitlisted for Andover.</p>
<p>I guess what I’m trying to get at is, If Choate doesn’t take you off the waiting list, try again next year. I felt horrible getting denied from Andover last year, but it made me stronger and helped me with my application process this year. I felt so proud getting on their wait list this year though. I am grateful for knowing they even considered me. Best of luck to you!</p>
) didn’t even get WListed. I was just wondering.</p>