The Wait List

For the schools that waitlisted me, should I treat the waitlist as a rejection and simply reapply for them next year?

This is what I do. See the amazing chart generated by admin. You will see there are some schools with much more WLs than Rejects, which to me is a kind of soft rejection, like Middlesex, concord, and etc.

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So if we get a decision from the waitlist, it will probably be on April 10th right? I got waitlisted at Exeter but really want to get in and I got some new awards over the winter that I’m going to add

Where is the chart?

one of the pinned threads

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Umm sorry I’m new to this, where are the pinned threads? I just found this a few days ago

Would you say Milton also gave soft rejections?

2021 Prep School Decision Charts for CC - Prep School Admissions - College Confidential Forums - Admissions Discussions and Threads

Thank you!

I would say no, but seems like they have a deep wait pool

It will be well after A10. Once the yield is known, if they need to go to the waitlist, they need time to assess their needs in terms of gender, diversify, boarding v. day, etc.

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Hello!
For some background info, I’m an 8th grader applying for 9th grade at Exeter. I was given a spot on the waitlist and I would really love to go. I think a reason why I wasn’t granted admission directly was because I didn’t take the SSAT or ISEE during the regular admissions cycle. I was wondering if taking it now (end of March/beginning of April) would be good for getting off the waitlist? Would they accept it now? I already sent the admissions office a letter of continued interest expressing my desire to go to their school. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Your situation is just like mine! Same school and everything lol. I debated it and ended up sending mine, even though it was only 84. I’m sure you’ve seen this a million times before, but most likely ssat would not have been make or break, and I was told myself it probably would not be because of ssat this year especially. But most likely ssat will not get you off the waitlist. There are around 600 people on Exeter’s waitlist(number may be exaggerated) and they will only start to look at waitlist after April 10, that is if they don’t have enough students commiting to go. Keep in mind they have not had movement using WL for the past few years. If however, on the off chance the waitlist does start to move, having a high ssat would be most helpful for you competing against other waitlisted students. If you are hopeful enough and believe the WL will be used, take the ssat and add it to your application.

I do not think that would help, so I will advise against it. Please read the Wait List thread. I think it will give you invaluable insight as to the workings of the Wait List.

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If you are on the WL, the school considers you admissible. If your SSAT were insufficient or required, you would not have been waitlisted. Taking the test and submitting will not affect your WL status and is completely unnecessary. Schools are not choosing to take students from the WL based on the SSAT; academic admissibility has already been passed/decided.

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The schools made the original admission decision based on applicants could not take the SSAT or ISEE due to some technical challenges (lack of stable internet, no quiet place etc.). However, if suddenly the applicants can take those all of a sudden, it may potentially raise a red flag. If I have to guess, it may make the chance even less.

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The SSAT is NOT going to help. How do I know, my kids were 99% and 98% and still were not accepted to every school. Even with perfect math scores. So, realize that there are 90 people rejected or on the waitlist for every 10 accepted. It has little or nothing to do with the SSAT. I think they want to see a baseline but once above that it’s not going to help even if you get a perfect score.
This is particularly true this year when many were not able to take the tests.

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Could you point out some useful replies? There are so many that I can’t read all of them
 Thank you for your help!

I totally understand your point. However, my situation is that I didn’t take the test when I submitted the application. I’m guessing that the only “numbers” they had were my grades, and they are average at best. I thought maybe if I could show them that my scores will be good enough for their school, I would have a higher chance?

Don’t want to come off as rude, just trying to figure things out here.

You can look up the average scores for Exeter. I think they are very high maybe in the mid 90’s. If you are at that point or higher then maybe go and send them. But honestly, I’ve been through the waitlist process. They take a LOT of kids on the W/L and when they take a kid off it’s based on a match ( things like geo, URM, sport, music etc). Often the match is very specific and it can be multiple buckets. They have LOTS of kids who have high test scores. I don’t want to deflate you. The W/L actually makes me upset as a parent, because I think they hold up kids moving on. That’s my opinion.
Read photographermom’s thread on the W/L. It’s really accurate and true. It also explains what to do. And go back and see old threads. You’ll see that few kids move off the waitlists. This year might be different due to Covid. But I just rememebr my oldest holding out hopes and I wish I had known how it actually worked.
Best of luck.

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