<p>I don't know for sure, but think that since admission is supposed to be need-blind that admission from the wait list would be, too. In the past 4 years the number of people enrolled from the waitlist has varied between 18 and 50 per year, which is not a negligible number. As others have said, I think that Swarthmore does pay attention to demonstrated interest, especially from applicants who "should" have shown interest, like legacies and applicants from within a 2 or 3 hour drive or so.</p>
<p>Yeah I've learned not to make generalizations like that, dadx3...</p>
<p>I live half an hour away from Swat and I was accepted via likely letter despite never "officially" visiting the campus. My Why Swarthmore essay only mentioned... Swarthmore... in the last line.</p>
<p>Oh and I'm not exactly a strong candidate either</p>
<p>
[quote]
I don't understand why they are so forthcoming about everything else but apparently refuse to let on how many people are on the waitlist.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I saw the number in an article a couple of years ago. I don't feel like trying to dig it up right now -- don't quote me, but it was a very large number. I want to say at least 1000. That's the case at every elite college I've seen. The waitlist is used as a way of signaling that the application was strong enough to be accepted, but things broke a different direction in picking one particular group of 929 instead of a different group of 929.</p>
<p>Well Swarthmore's Common Data Set does say that demonstrated interest is "considered," just as legacy, talent, the interview, geographic residence and a few other things are. I'm just speaking from my experience, having given alumni interviews over the past few years and seeing kids of my friends, both alums and non alums, apply to Swarthmore.</p>