<p>My 5th waitlist out of 10 schools! Arrgh! In this case though I'm wondering if its a "courtesy" waitlist since I'm a legacy or if I actually have a shot. Does Stanford reject any legacies?</p>
<p>In the past 5 years Stanford has had about 800-900 on their waitlist and taken anywhere from 0 to 127. My guess is the size of the list will be about the same this year - but how many they take - if any - is a complete lottery.</p>
<p>Any other waitlisters out there want to commiserate?</p>
<p>Stanford does reject legacies - around 90% don’t get in.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how many from the waitlist Stanford will take this year. Everyone has been expecting a higher yield (which is why HYPM were cautious and accepted 120-190 fewer students this year), so if that’s the case, Stanford may over-enroll. The fact that the waitlist is smaller than it’s been in years (it’s usually closer to 1000) suggests to me that Stanford isn’t expecting to take many, if any, off the waitlist.</p>
<p>The general rule of thumb for waitlists at the elite universities is to just assume that you won’t get in. That’s the same attitude all students should have when they first apply, but getting off the waitlist is less likely than getting in in the first place, as it usually has an even lower “acceptance rate.”</p>
<p>I know it’s bleak, but it’s realistic. If you get accepted from the waitlist, then it’ll be a pleasant surprise. But in the meantime, it’s a good idea to focus on your other acceptances and get pumped about them. </p>
<p>I’m sure everyone on the waitlist will end up somewhere awesome. Think about it: if you’re on the waitlist, you’re in the top 8.78% of the applicant pool. That’s a lower acceptance rate than all but a small handful of schools and is an accomplishment in itself. </p>
<p>Good luck to everyone, wherever you end up. :)</p>
<p>Thanks Phantasma! That makes me feel much better - even if I don’t ultimately get admitted.</p>