<p>I just got waitlisted for this fourth round of applications today, and can expect to hear from them between May 1 and May 18. Has anyone heard of the best approach to speed up this process? They say only a handful applicants can expect to have a final decision prior to May 1. I welcome advice, especially from anyone who has survived the wait list for Teach For America in earlier rounds this year.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I’d really appreciate any advice/help that can be offered.</p>
<p>I was also waitlisted in the third application group. Yesterday I got an e-mail saying that they would let me know sometime between May 1 and May 18th. You probably got the same e-mail but this paragraph makes it seem pretty likely that they’ll be able to place us:</p>
<p>“Due to the unprecedented interest in Teach For America, more than a thousand candidates have been placed on our waitlist this year. Of those candidates, we recently informed about half of them that it is highly unlikely they will receive offers. As we finalize available positions with our district partners in the next six weeks, we believe we will admit most of the remaining waitlist candidates into the 2009 corps. Because of this, we hope you will remain on the waitlist to give us the opportunity to find you a placement.”</p>
<p>I spoke to a friend who’s currently in the corps and he basically told me that’s a basically a yes, but that TFA is covering their ass in case something unforseen happens in the job market. </p>
<p>Best of luck!</p>
<p>I’m in the fourth application round for TFA, and while I did receive the standard wait list letter on April 20th (this Monday), I didn’t receive the follow-up letter that you did re: TFA already informing those who are unlikely to receive offers. I haven’t received any follow-up information since Monday, negative or affirmative - does that mean I’m already unlikely to receive an offer this year, or just that they haven’t gotten around to any decision regarding my application specifically?</p>
<p>I also still don’t know when I should expect to hear a response from them - before May 1, or between May 1 and May 18. My recruiter says people on the waiting list should be hopeful, but that sounds incredibly vague and I have no idea whether it applies to me (specifically) at all or just the wait list at large. I’ve been emailing Admissions but they haven’t gotten back to me at all. I want to stay positive, but I’m not sure if it would be completely naive of me to do so.</p>
<p>Bumping for advice.</p>
<p>I’m don’t have a lot that I can offer, except that myself and a good friend both originally applied first deadline. We were both wait listed. Second deadline I was ultimately accepted, but my friend remained on the wait list (and still does now…although I think she’s dropping out). </p>
<p>That said I know people who like you applied 4th deadline and were waist listed. And I know some 4th deadline people who were straight out rejected. I would take the fact that they sent you a wait list notification on April 20th…knowing they had all these people on the wait list…as a good sign. And as for not hearing any follow…“no news is good news.”</p>
<p>I know this whole process is completely frustrating! Especially since TFA recruiters keep saying how non-competitive the process is…and that if you are qualified you are accepted. Oh, well. Just hang in there!</p>
<p>Get a sales job, commissioned not salaried or hourly paid. After all, teaching is nothing more than Sales.
Take a course in Dale Carnegie and Toastmasters for an activity. </p>
<p>Just by doing those three things, you will learn real fast all about teaching and will be much more effective in your teaching ability.</p>
<p>Thanks, NoelB05. Yea, the wait is really confusing, and my recruitment person has informed me the wait list is ranked, which, while it doesn’t surprise me, also doesn’t tell me anything about where I am. I think the usual algorithms they use for admissions, which keeps the process selective but not competitive (they hire whoever matches their specific qualifications, basically), cannot apply to this year’s applications. They had too many qualified people, so now they have to make Sophie’s Choice.</p>
<p>It’s really a confusing time. I feel like everything I’m hearing doesn’t sound too positive - they placed HUNDREDS of people on the wait list (someone actually said over a thousand), and it doesn’t seem like too many slots have opened up. Yet, my recruiter keeps telling me to have hope. I mean, if I was on the high end of that curve, maybe, but…oh well.</p>
<p>Still, congratulations on your acceptance! Where were you placed, and what subject/grade-level will you be teaching? Was this your highest preference?</p>
<p>Has anyone gotten admitted off the wait list in the last few weeks?</p>
<p>It’s interesting what everyone here is saying. I too was waitlisted from the 4th application cycle, but the email they sent me is seemingly different from either of yours. They told me that most people would hear between May 1 and May 18, but they also said that I was “recommended for admission” but they don’t have the spots yet, although they “expect to offer most people on the waitlist admission.” It was sort of similar to ghewitt’s, but phrased differently and did not include the part about a thousand people being on the waitlist.</p>
<p>Besides opening up my flexibility a bit more, I have not, however, heard anything from them in the meantime. I’ve been trying to find anyone whose been accepted off the waitlist in the last few weeks as well, but haven’t heard of anyone. While I was optimistic at first, at this point I’m getting somewhat discouraged. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a “round” of offers sometime between May 15 to 18, and if they just gave us the 1 to 18 dates to keep us interested. I will say though, it would be VERY unprofessional of them to say they expect to give most of us an offer and then not do so. IMO, they should not have used such optimistic language unless they were all but positive they were going to offer us a position.</p>
<p>So…has anyone been accepted off the waitlist in the past few weeks?</p>
<p>I have news…someone from my college who applied 4th deadline was just accpeted off the waitlist…I believe in Denver, CO.</p>
<p>But to answer your question: I’m teaching Elementary Ed in New Orleans (my second pick in highly preferred section).</p>
<p>Hi all, I’m back with some good news. I was admitted this Monday (May 11th) to Phoenix. Which was fourth on my high preference list. There isn’t much time to celebrate the happy news, though, since I’m now mired in preparation work.</p>
<p>Good luck to those of you who are currently waiting.
My original letter said the same thing about being “recommended for admission” as opposed to “recommended for the waitlist.” I’m not sure if that made a difference, but it seems I was admitted off the list fairly early in the game, so maybe that’s good news? Again, I’m not certain, but stay hopeful because if they’re giving you hope, you probably have a very good chance. Much luck to you!</p>
<p>Congrats The Other Cheek! Last I heard from admissions, they said they were still on track to notify “most” people by the 18th; but considering that it seems like a number of people on the waitlist have heard, I am getting the feeling now that I am not one of those “most,” which is quite discouraging.</p>
<p>Sigh. This is so frustrating. I wouldn’t have been half as angry if they would have just said no rather than string me along with such optimistic rhetoric. I guess we’ll see on Monday.</p>
<p>I’d be interested in reading it.</p>
<p>Anybody out there that’s been waitlisted for the 2010 Corp? I have and I’m interested to compare letters to see if theres a difference, and to share other insight.</p>
<p>To GrLittle</p>
<p>Hi there! I applied to TFA during the first deadline in 2009 and was placed on the waitlist in November. I was “recommended for acceptance” and am waiting on a placement. I was then asked to submit my fall 2009 transcript to TFA and did so in January. On the March 8 notification day, I was asked to fill out a survey and update my regional/subject preferences. While I had specific regions that I wanted going into this process, now I am really just anxious to get a placement and be a part of such a fantastic program. Anywhere teaching younger kids, I hope! What did your letter say? Have you heard anything other than the standard updates since then? I would love love love to hear from you as I am just so stressed and so frustrated over this! Feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:juliemarieoneil@gmail.com">juliemarieoneil@gmail.com</a> to check in as well!</p>
<p>Best,
Julie</p>
<p>GRLittle-
Yes, and I’m beginning to think I am the only one, there is no info out there on the 2010 waitlist that I can find. My letter said I have been recommended for acceptance but due to the economic situation/partner school districts etc etc. what did yours say?</p>
<p>Mine says the exact same thing. Recommended for acceptance. Apparently there are two different groups of people on the wait list, recommended for acceptance and recommended for wait list. Althought I haven’t seen anyone that has been of the latter group.</p>
<p>Hi GrLittle, I applied during the 4th application cycle, and I was waitlisted. This is the letter I received.</p>
<p>"Dear Jenny,</p>
<p>Thank you for applying to Teach For America and for the time you have invested in the interview process. Our Selection Committee is impressed by your record of past achievement, leadership potential, and commitment to expanding educational opportunities for children in low-income communities. While the Committee has offered admission to some candidates and denied admission to others, it has recommended your acceptance to Teach For America but has placed you on the waitlist because of a few uncertainties impacting this year’s corps. We recognize that you were expecting a final decision today and apologize for any inconvenience this delayed notification may cause.</p>
<p>This year, we have implemented a waitlist for the 2010 corps in response to the significant growth in the number of promising candidates combined with remaining uncertainty about the number of available placements we will have for teachers this fall. We saw an unprecedented interest in Teach For America, with an increase of over 30 percent in applications compared to last year - by far our largest and highest-caliber applicant pool. At the same time, the economic downturn has impacted many state and district education budgets, as well as the number of teachers choosing to retire. This means that some districts will hire fewer teachers than they have in the past. While Teach For America will likely have more corps members in 2010 than in any previous year, at most, we are expecting a 10 percent increase in the number of placements. Given these current conditions and uncertainty, we maintain a waitlist to ensure that we have positions for anyone who is offered admission and continue to work actively with our district partners to secure additional placements. If we learn that our partners can hire more teachers, it will enable us to admit candidates from the waitlist.</p>
<p>If you are admitted off the waitlist, you will have one week to decide to join the corps in order to provide you enough time to prepare for your transition. When determining whom we will admit off the waitlist, we will consider the candidates who are most qualified for open positions, as well as any expressed regional, grade, and subject preferences. We hope you will remain on the waitlist to give us the opportunity to find you a placement. However, we also recognize that you are eager to finalize your plans for this year and may have different opportunities to consider. As a next step, we would like to gather any current information or updates about your timeline, as well as get your preferences of potential new sites and existing regions that will likely have needs for additional teachers. We ask that you complete a short form here by 5 p.m. ET on Friday, April 23.</p>
<p>Please note that we will provide all candidates a final update on May 21 as to whether we have a placement for them in the 2010 corps.</p>
<p>We are very grateful for your commitment to Teach For America, the time and energy you have invested in this application process, and your continued patience. We look forward to being in touch, and given our Selection Committee’s positive impression of your candidacy, we hope to be able to offer you a position in our 2010 corps. </p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Joshua Griggs
Vice President, Admissions"</p>
<p>I really don’t know what to make of it… I hear from other people that there’s a difference between being “recommended for acceptance” and “recommended for waitlist”, but I don’t know how hopeful I’m allowed to be as of this point. I wasn’t even made aware until today that there was such a thing as a waitlist for TFA…</p>
<p>Does anyone know the likelihood of being taken off the waitlist and accepted? Thanks.</p>
<p>I got the same letter but it was on my status on the TFA website. I then got an email about being on the waitlist for the Phoenix corps?? I have not heard of the chances for getting accepted of the waiting list but would love to know!</p>