<p>What’s the difference between manual and automatic?</p>
<p>Waitlists that are automatic are processed each weekend by the computers, taking people from the waitlist in strict sequence for any openings in the categories they qualify for. Until the run is made, the class will sit with open slots but people on the waitlist. If a class has multiple categories with individual limits, for example one bucket for upperclassmen and another that is open to all, then if someone drops the class, the seat might be put into the upperclass category and clearing will skip all the freshman and sophmores on the list till it finds a qualified person. However, within category, your order on the waitlist is very important.</p>
<p>Manual waitlists are cleared by the instructor or others in the department. The criteria they use to pick people can be whatever they wish - preferring people in the major, or people near graduation, or people with good records in prior classes in that subject, or even pure favoritism. It is up to the people doing the manual clearing as to when they clear and who they select. Your order on the waitlist means little with manual clearing.</p>
<p>Thanks for the great information rider730!</p>
<p>it is partly explained on registrar.berkeley.edu, the rest just fills in the blanks. Cal has an amazing amount of information online that just needs some digging to uncover.</p>
<p>how likely is it to get off WL for math 1b, position #39?</p>