Absolutely. I’ve heard it happens even after May 1, at which time you can withdraw from your committed school (presumably forfeiting any deposit).
ETA: What does SIR mean? Forgive my ignorance.
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Usually it is after May 1st and all the way through the summer. I just don’t understand why they’re pulling from the waitlist now before May 1st.
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SIR means to commit, it’s your intent to register.
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I think there’s a dichotomy between publics (who seems to have large acceptance from WL) and more elite privates (who for the most part, don’t).
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Ah, ok! I thought you were saying the opposite–that it would be weird to come after May 1, thus not giving the student any time to decide. But I agree with your thought. Why would a school know yet that they have room, if students might be SIR-ing late? They have some complex algorithm, I’m sure, that tells them based on how many have committed, what percentage of the remaining admitted students will commit. I almost wish my son had stayed on the one waitlist he was on, because it seems exciting to get a last minute invitation to a fantastic school, but he didn’t want that U anymore.
Specific programs can be different, too. I think music students get admitted from WLs at a higher rate, because the community/pool of students is smaller and it becomes like musical chairs. (No pun intended.)
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We’re going to look at SUNY ESF, and SU because ESF uses SU facilities like the dining hall, gym, etc.
It would be funny if my D also ended up in Syracuse.
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After spending a lot of time going over travel options to LSU, it just seems like a very hard time to do it now. D’s high school does not like them to miss any school in these last couple of months.
I’m thinking of talking to LSU admissions and asking if they would honor their admission offer after May 1 in the case we could visit later. I won’t double deposit but I still think it’s worth a visiting when we can if they can keep the door open for her.
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I just think at the big publics like the UCs, they have sophisticated models that can map where things are headed, and if they know they aren’t seeing SIRs (it stands for Statement of Intent to Register) on whatever trajectory they need to be on, they will move early. It’s smart to give kids a heads up to think it over now with all the time left before May 1 vs after that when they will have paid elsewhere and gotten emotionally connected to the school. Plus UC Irvine still has their admitted student day this weekend, so students coming off the waitlist can attend.
The past couple of years some UCs have really used waitlists to manage enrollment since in the past they have been burned by over enrollment. So they go out conservatively and then make offers. Both Davis and Irvine took kids from waitlists last year. One terrible year, UC Irvine misjudged and then tried to rescind acceptances late in the summer for dumb stuff like kids not getting transcripts there by the summer deadline. Then there was a backlash and they had to go back on that and admit them back. It was a nightmare.
Maybe UC Davis and UC Irvine have powers to see inside my kid’s mind as those are two of the schools she’s soon to decline. 
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In 2017 UC Irvine and Cal Poly slo both overenrolled by about 1,000 students. It sure was a mess. I get the reasons for the waitlist, but receiving that offer today was unexpected. If my son weren’t in at Berkeley, Irvine would have probably been the top choice.
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I know you’ve been doing your all to find a way to visit. We went through this kind of thing, and it seems like trying to move heaven and earth. We sent our kid on his first solo trip, in a blizzard, to make it to an audition. It was crazy!
I can’t remember all your details, so please forgive me if my 2 cents don’t make sense. Is LSU her top pick? If not–and she has school(s) she loves already–you don’t need to ask for this. Just let it go. (Believe me, I know that is hard.)
If LSU is her top pick, and you make this request of the school, I’d say have a specific reason why she can’t get there by 4/30 (e.g., illness, temporary financial hardship) and give a specific date that she can make it.
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Both great schools. My wife went to Oxy and my oldest is at Oberlin and very happy there. Was definitely the right fit for them. My oldest gives tours at Oberlin so if your daughter has any questions let me know and I’m sure I can put them in touch.
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I’ve mentioned before that I have a kid at Mississippi State, where she’s thriving.
I’ve also mentioned before, but it seems worth repeating in this context, that of all the colleges she applied to, the one she didn’t get a chance to tour was Mississippi State.
In fact, the first time she set foot on campus—the first time she saw the campus in person, even from a distance—was for incoming student orientation.
Which is an illustration of the fact that even though we’ve built up college tours into some sort of Absolutely Necessary Step in the whole college application process, that’s actually a pretty recent development, and it isn’t really as necessary as we tend to have convinced ourselves it is. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice thing to have if you can swing it, but it isn’t remotely a requirement for going to a college, and it isn’t close to a requirement for enjoying your experience at a college.
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Not trying to be snarky at all…but why is the desire of the high school at all relevant? If you and your child want to see the school to make a well informed decision impacting their future seems like that is most important criteria.
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I happen to agree- if one can feasibly make the trip, the high school should be in support of that. In fact, here in NY, family college visits are very common junior and senior year, and are considered excused absences.
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The school has a policy of no absences the last quarter and we already got one exception. To go to LSU would mean two days more because of travel time.
I’m also balancing some things at home with an adult child with chronic illness, a service dog who was just retired for health issues who we just adopted who needs some rehab (we raised her as a puppy), and now a major leak as of this morning. What might not be a big deal at another time is starting to seem too much.
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There’s always UMaine…and their honors college acceptance! And we’ve already visited! 
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I completely and totally empathize 
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(Though at this point in the game I’d tell the high school to shove it).
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Yes
Still a contender?
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