<p>I am certain most MT students would like to hear what Michigan has to say. At the very least, we wanted to hear what they had to say. </p>
<p>We did. We compared. We said “no, thank you.” in less than 24 hours.</p>
<p>I can also imagine a scenario for some where the family wants to visit the campus before making a decision. This could be true in the case of a Unified audition. Or one parent has not seen the campus. Those school visits can be a deciding factor. I know some wait listed students visit schools, but we didn’t. We didn’t see everything we needed to see at campus auditions. Before dropping a couple hundred grand, some families add a visit to the decision. I think it could certainly be appropriate.</p>
<p>I agree with all of grayhairedman’s points. I don’t think you are compelled to attend a school if you stay on a wait list. An applicant has the right to know the offer and weigh it and then decide. If there are a couple wait list schools they may strongly consider if given the green light, it makes sense to stay on a couple of those wait lists because the odds of any one particular one coming through is not that great. Once an offer is given off the wait list, then a decision should be made quickly and then the domino effect continues if the student declines the offer.</p>
<p>By the way, congrats to your son, grayhairedman!</p>
<p>Thank you, Susan.</p>
<p>I agree with soozievt. There is nothing wrong with staying on the WLs for any schools you would consider attending if an offer is made to come off the WL.</p>
<p>Staying on a WL is not a commitment to attend if offered a place in the class. </p>
<p>Sent from my DROID RAZR using CC</p>
<p>I believe the counselors are saying that to keep their school’s reputation with the college, not because it is best for the student.</p>
<p>Lucky for us this was not a big issue as the wait list for my D was not going to sway her so she could withdraw her application without regrets. Btu this whole discussion makes me want to talk to the college admission office at our school. They clearly are pushing students to withdraw all wait listed options. I think that is not right - given what you all commented on here. I agree with you and now feel that the school we go to should understand this too! Thanks for the info.</p>
<p>Top tier wait lists are only being engaged now and offers from them usually happen late in April on into May. If you are still considering a wait list school, you need to put deposit down before May 1 on a school to which you have been accepted. Unless you are willing to take a gap year. If you switch schools after May 1, you will likely lose deposit on the first school, but you could get the school of your dreams if it is a wait listed school for student. And some schools may even give your deposit back. Some.</p>
<p>
That was my reading of it. I’m wondering why it would make much of a difference to the college. If the student does not accept a WL position, then the college can, with little effort, move right on to the next name on the list.</p>
<p>My thoughts too. Why is the private school’s reputation at stake? Every student is different. Every family is different. Every college is different. What do I know? My kids went to public school.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity, how long did it take all of your decisions to come in? And when are your latest wait list results set for?</p>
<p>I have not heard of a high school’s reputation being at stake if someone stays on a waitlist, then gets an offer, but declines it. However, a high school’s reputation will be at stake if someone applies Early Decision which is a commitment to attend (unlike a waitlist!) and doesn’t enroll. Being on a waitlist is not a commitment to attend. Nobody is breaking a contract if they decide not to attend in a waitlist scenario. ED is a contract.</p>
<p>Possibly the issue mentioned by some at their schools is not so much just about remaining on the waitlist, but rather about the GCs contacting admissions on a student’s behalf to work to get the student off the waitlist. I could see in that case it would impact the sway that a HS GC could have in the future when advocating on a student’s behalf if they had worked to get a student off a list and then the student did not attend. </p>
<p>That is different, however, than just staying on a waitlist or on multiple waitlists. </p>
<p>I do not think the colleges have a problem with students staying on multiple waitlists.</p>
<p>
The only exception I can think of is CMU’s priority waitlist, which is a special circumstance.</p>
<p>glassharmonica, I was going to mention CMU’s Priority Waitlist, but then didn’t. I am familiar with it as my daughter was offered that in her year. It is true that CMU is asking you to commit if you stay on that list but on the other hand, they give you 48 hours to commit by deposit IF you are offered a spot in the class, and I am sure that there could be people who stay on the list but never end up enrolling if offered a spot in the class. I realize with that one particular school’s program, there is a bit more of a committed intention than a typical waitlist but still, there is no contract to attend like there is for ED candidates.</p>
<p>Yes, I understand CMU’s priority wait list is different. My son was accepted by CMU, but was not on its wait list. Michigan wanted an answer coming off its wait list in one week. It was quite possibly negotiable. We didn’t ask because we didn’t need the time.</p>
<p>@jessgn, son was accepted by some schools early winter and by some third or fourth week of March. There is no definite timetable that i know of regarding wait list offers except I imagine most are done by end of May. I have heard some acceptance action going on into June though. I am no expert, though.</p>