<p>As most of you know, an overwhelming majority of qualified candidates applying for financial aid were waitlisted in order to increase yield and give out less money. Wash U.'s hope seems to be that those who get into HYPSM will not accept a waitlist spot, thus increasing their yield.</p>
<p>Perhaps everyone who was waitlisted should accept a spot on the list and later reject the admission offer, if a better school offers admission. I'm not sure if this will work, but seeing qualified candidates accept a waitlist spot regardless of other acceptances may make Wash U. change their policies.</p>
<p>Do you believe that would be very considerate of the people on WL that want to attend WashU? I hardly think so. I am interested on what facts you make the following statement “an overwhelming majority of qualified candidates applying for financial aid were waitlisted in order to increase yield and give out less money.” Obviously not a true statement, considering that WashU is one of the few schools that is increasing financial aid this year. You might want to consider the fact that a very high percentage of WashU applicants are qualified, but WashU has only a limited number of spaces available. If you are still interested in WashU, then accept the WL. If not, then best to move on and not make life difficult for people who are interested in the WL.</p>
<p>ST2: You’re right. Whenever I see these kinds of threads, I feel that my acceptance becomes insignificant and that somehow I am accepted by a university that cares more about interest, money and ranking rather than actual academia. I like WashU a lot, but I am becoming increasingly unsure about it.</p>
<p>A lot of people on the waitlist are becoming disenchanted on the “prestige” of WashU, so I highly doubt many of them would want to go if they were to get off the waitlist</p>
<p>Unfortunately this is a difficult time for some people. A good part of the people in the applicant pool are used to being at the top in everything. Some can not accept the fact that they may not have been the best fit for WashU. Since WashU is not in a position to accept all qualified applicants, unfortunately some very qualified people will be dissapointed. Instead of accepting the situation, they may look to rationalize the situation. Unfortunately this ends in irrational and bitter posts at times. At the same time people should accept the need for dissapointed people to vent. In the end, people move on and it seems to work out for most people. The best solution is to experience the school, the campus atmospher and the studemts - then make up your own mind. After all it is 4 years of your life and the important thing is that you are happy.</p>
<p>I got waitlisted, but got into Michigan and got a likely letter from Cornell today. ***.</p>
<p>I really don’t appreciate the numbers game WUSTL plays with admissions. I’d enjoy going there but it’s not my first choice and I’m obviously not theirs, lol. I did reserve my spot though, gotta keep my options open.</p>
<p>Look, the truth is that any elite college can fill its class 4 times over without any problems. That means that they have to look at other things, mostly subjective. Don’t get mad at them for playing the exact same “game” as HYPS- after all, WashU and all the other top-tier schools have essentially crapshoot admissions. Just because you didn’t get in with great stats does not mean Tufts Syndrome exists: plenty of 2400 SAT valedictorians get rejected from WashU, this is true. Plenty get accepted. This is the same as with Ivy’s.</p>
<p>For everyone dissing WashU, you might wanna be prepared. HYPMS operate much the same way.</p>
<p>All you have to do to verify the comment about yield is to look at historic ED stats vs RD stats. Those accepted ED have in the past five years had lower overall profiles than the RD applicant pool. Those with more “marginal” SATs and GPAs were advised to apply RD to increase their chances. This phenomena has run opposite that of other highly select schools where the EA/ED pool is far more self selecting and generally has higher stats than the RD pool.</p>
<p>Wash U is “need aware” not “need blind” and has always been driven by yield.</p>
<p>Their enormously successful marketing campaign has driven applications up for the past six to eight years and has drastically improved their “selectivity” for USNWR purposes and has helped to raise the profile (and USNWR ranking) of the school at the same time.</p>
<p>I agree, WashU plays the exact same “game” as the ivies. Don’t you remember thinking, “oh my god, how’d that kid with 2400 SAT’s and a 4.0 UW gpa get rejected from yale? Columbia? Caltech?” the list goes on and on. The only reason you think it’s unfair is because you don’t think WashU carries the same prestige as those other schools, so you don’t think it’s justified in its decisions.</p>
<p>Noob: The only reason you think it’s unfair is because you don’t think WashU carries the same prestige as those other schools, so you don’t think it’s justified in its decisions.</p>
<p>It doesn’t have the prestige of the other schools. Does that make it right for any school to do it? No. Should they do it? No. But do they? No. I just think it’s ridiculous that they do this just for a stupid number. Admit those you want, get the best class you can get and have the best students who will get out when they graduate and make the school look good, and that’s how the rep gets built up. We all know that in the real world no one knows off the top of their head that WUSTL’s yield rate is X amoutn, and is as good as Harvards. No one cares. Numbers are stupid and ridiculous when they cause a school to reject some of the best applicants that may or may not have enrolled there. </p>
<p>I got into Cornell with a likely letter, and when i went to check my WUSTL decision I was sure I was going to get in. I got waitlisted. Was I annoyed? Yes. Would I instantly pick Cornell over WUSTL when it comes time to choose? No. </p>
<p>They can’t get the best applicants if they don’t accept them.</p>
<p>True, most people would pick Yale over WashU. However, as a top 15 ranked school WashU’s highly selective admissions process is playing the same exact “game” as Yale (though perhaps at a slightly lower level).</p>
<p>Edit: Just because you got a likely to Cornell doesnt mean that WashU is a guaranteed acceptance, FYI.</p>
<p>I never said it was guaranteed, I just felt confident I would get in. Nor am I saying I’m overqualified for WUSTL (because I hgihly doubt I am…), I’m just saying that WUSTL shoudl stop the waitlist game and accept those they’d like to admit and quit crying about being the backup for Ivy hopefuls.</p>
<p>well as far as i know i applied for financial aid and got waitlisted and another boys here from pakistan who applied for financial aid also got waitlisted but i don know whether i was at all comparable to those who got accepted…</p>
<p>You’re implying they’re not accepting the best applicants, which comes off as very condescending.</p>
<p>As for the idea that no one would choose WashU over Yale, you’re wrong. I know a girl that chose WashU over Harvard, and another over Princeton.</p>
<p>You’re implying they’re not accepting the best applicants, which comes off as very condescending.</p>
<p>Does it? Or is it just being blunt? It appears pretty obvious that they manipulate their admits to raise their yield. Following simple logic, you can deduce that they either a) must throw money at the very very best and admit very few, in hopes of enticing them to come, or b) admit slightly lesser students (not mediocre by any stretch of the imagination) who have a slightly lower chance of getting into HYPS, and therefore will draw them in because WUSTL will be one of the best institutions they are admitted to.</p>
<p>I think it is quite obvious they do not accept the best applicants 100% of the time. I’m not implying I am, and I’m not bitter because I got waitlisted, I’m just stating the facts. Condescending or not, it’s the truth. It’s condescending when people say Penn is full of snobs. Is it? I don’t know, but it seems like the general consensus. Condescending? Yes. The truth? If it is indeed true then yes. When you tell someone they will flat out not get into HYPS WUSTL UMICH NU OXFORD whatever it may be because they are not a strong enough student, does that hurt their feelings? Maybe, but it’s the truth. Condescension and being candid in the realm of college admissions go pretty much hand in hand when it comes to being realistic.</p>