@HMom16 I never thought of these things–I’ve been resolved to the fact it just isn’t happening, but those are great questions! I do know that some of the people my son talked to about coming off of their waitlist told him one of the main factors they wanted from a WL candidate was to know that they wanted to go to their school above all else, no matter what. That makes me think they’d want a pretty quick answer. Not sure about the revisit part, though. I know the only WL we stayed on was DS #1 choice–which we never got to see with students there…nor did we see dorms. So, on the very remote chance we did get a call…we’d probably need to revisit. Hmmmmm
@buuzn03 I know you are (infinitesimally) more likely to get off the waitlist if the student says they will definitely attend - but that may change between the time the student says that and the time they are actually admitted, especially if the school(s) they are admitted to show a lot of love. Still wondering, though, how things work…
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Right…I guess I didn’t state it quite like I meant to. I was just wondering if since that is what the school expected, how quick would they want an answer and how willing would they be to make special arrangements for a Revisit… that was all I was trying to point out. I’m a complete novice, so as you know, I really have no clue - only speculation!
@buuzn03 I vaguely remember reading in this thread (a million pages ago) that some schools call to notify you and then give you 24-48hrs to decide if you want the space or not. That way, they can quickly move on to the next candidate. I would imagine that they are looking for a verbal confirmation of continued interest and they would honor the opportunity to come back for a visit before signing enrollment contracts and leaving the deposit. I think it is more of a “Congratulations, should we send you the enrollment contract??” kind of call. I am not sure if that is the case with everyone but it is the vibe that I got. Like you, I have no actual experience though so…Hope that helps!
This is my understanding/recollection as well. As to how long they give you to actually sign and return the agreement, I don’t know. As for revisits, I’m sure the school will allow you to revisit and may provide access to some people to talk to. Will they put on a whole dog-and-pony show a la the regular revisits? No.
Thanks guys! That helps myself and hopefully @HMom16 with questions In case of the off-chance that we are faced with this decision! (Fingers crossed for you, HMom!!!)
My understanding is that most (if not all) WL movement will happen after the official revisits. There is a very short window between that and A10, so most likely you will need to give an answer very quickly. We have recently decided to only stay on the Cate & Thacher waitlists, because those are the only ones that I would feel comfortable accepting without another look. Good luck everyone!
@ThacherParent Thank you, I’m really hoping that something opens up there!
@GMC2918 - In some cases, there is literally no time between revisits and A10 (such as SPS, whose second revisit schedule is Thursday 4/6 and Friday 4/7).
I was actually thinking more about the (very few) people that might be contacted after A10.
I think there is some confusion here. The A10 deadline is for accepted applicants not WL applicants. Most schools will not go to the WL until after A10 and all decisions are in. Once A10 passes, each school will know definitively how many spots (or not) are open and which profiles they need for replacements. THEN they will go to the WL to find those profiles and start making calls. They will let you know when they call how long you have to decide, 24-to48 hours seems to be a common timeframe.
Been lurking for some time…here goes:
First of all, CC is amazing. Not even sure how I found it? Surfing one night I think? This thread in particular has been helpful as DS is dealing with WL purgatory now.
DS is a 2017, who is committed to play a sport at an Ivy in their 2018 recruit class. He applied for PG year at two HADESC schools and was waitlisted at both (long, complicated story, but bottom line did not play the PG/Coach Support Game well). DS asked that both schools place him on their WL back on March 10. Has been in contact with coach at one of the two WL schools, not so much with the other. DS in process of finishing app for a third HADESC school where coaches for two sports have been very interested. Sounds like they are just waiting for him to finish app, so they can bring him on board soon. I know that sounds heady but that’s my gut feeling. Phenomenal school, just location and size not best fit for us, DS. Trust me, he’d be lucky to attend this 3rd school! Blessed.
I have a bunch of questions, but regarding the two WL schools, should DS have a drop-dead date in mind for the WL wait? Like, if by say April 15 or even April 20 nothing has shaken out at the WL schools, move on? I don’t want the other HADESC school to lose interest and feel put off.
It also sounds like a lot begins to happen, if it’s gonna happen at all, in the April 8-12 window?
Movement on the WL is always rare and @ChoatieMom is right on. For 9th grade there is no movement before A10, a little movement in the few days after A10, and dribs and drabs afterwards. Don’t hold your breath, I’ve had two kids spend an entire summer hoping to get of the WL and my kids experience was common. For 10th/11th grade there may be some movement after A10, then another possible movement date is dependent on whenever returning student deposits are due - usually sometime in May.
^ That and love the school that loves you. 
Good luck!
Athletic PG is a somewhat different animal, I think. The kid is an ivy commit (so no CC needed and good result for the school) and needs the year between now and then for academics, I am guessing? I would do everything possible to move this forward quickly. Make sure all paperwork is in and work with the AO now to make sure you’ll know where you stand on A11. I would not hold out too long, especially if you have a bird in hand. Is the ivy coach helping you at all?
PG not for academic reasons, but to make up for junior year where no sports were played due to year abroad study. Simply wanted to get his 4th year of HS sports in before college.
NOTE: S began HS as a 2017, spent Jr year abroad in Europe an did not play any HS sports. Missed the year completely. To get the 4th year of HS sports back decided to reclass to 2018. Came home and committed to Ivy for his sport four months later as a 2018. At time he had “reclassed” to 2018. But then after committing to Ivy for sport as a 2018, decided to change plan to a PG year, so he reclassed BACK to 2017 after committing, and decided to PG next year.
ACT:31, UnWtd GPA: 3.9, Graduating from highly competitive BS this June as a 4-year merit scholar, spent Jr. year abroad in Europe studying, committed to IVY for sport. Coach at Ivy actually recommended one of the schools WL at. Interviewed, visited, got loads of positive comments, and vibes. Other school S applied to asked if they were his first choice? Two coaches were supporting his app there. Said S was their #1 PG slot. Asked S if they were his #1? S was honest and said no, other BS was. Upon hearing that coaches at the #2 BS dropped their “coach support.” He still got WL with no coach support. That was ok w S as he thought he was “in” at other BS, his stated #1. Besides he was thinking his Ivy coach and the coach at BS #1 were on same page. I guess they weren’t, as S’s #1 BS also WL him.
I do believe if S had told the school that said he was their #1 PG slot, that they were his #1 BS choice? I think he gets in there and not WL. S played the PG slot game and lost. The optics are not good, but I truly feel a comedy of errors. S has limped back to the school he said was his #2 and has two different sports coaches there pulling for him plus a teacher in the language dept. in which he is fluent. But as you know, having people pulling for you may have a positive impact, and it may just as easily have zero impact.
Sadly S was loved by school where he told two coaches from two different sports that they were his #2, when they told him HE was their #1. We just also figured he was loved by the school he thought was his #1? NOTE: they never told him that he was their #1. We just never thought to ask? We were/are new to this game. And got burned.
S is finishing app to a 3rd school that we do think may expedite the process, but coaches will not go to bat for S unless he tells them they are his #1.
At this point, I think we will see what happens in the next two weeks. This is getting old. As per advice on CC we have been updating AOs and coaches and language dept on any good news or grades, etc. Have yet to send in kitchen sink, but it is ready to go.
@Low and Away, that sounds enormously stressful and I do not know what solid advice to give. There is a part of me that thinks you might want to come clean with #1 school now. Tell them exactly where you are in process and ask for their guidance. Do remind them of the connection between ivy coach and their coach. If the chances aren’t excellent, move on to the #2. AND then #3. If it were me, I would be less interested in prioritizing and instead be focused on having a bed next year. It is possible that there is some background noise on this that won’t go away; a coach’s promise to a current senior, a coach who has worn his welcome with admissions, etc that you canot get past.
Coach support has varying levels of influence at each school so I would talk directly to AO now.
Thanks GSG. Just looked again at son’s GPA, it appears to be a Wtd 3.75. In original post I said it was an Uwtd 3.9. Sorry, I’ve really never paid too much attention to GPA, all I ever focused on was A,B, Cs.
As far as talking directly to AO now, I am all for it, but not sure which AO to contact, as 3 of the 4 coaches son working with currently are all Asst. AOs in their respective schools. Son’s original first choice school, both coaches (one is HC of son’s primary/recruited sport and the other is HC of son’s secondary sport) are also AOs. Son’s original second choice school, only one is an AO.
Understand that now however, what was the “second choice school” is now son’s first choice.
He did interview at both schools with an impartial 3rd party AO however. Should we contact them? Up till now have been going thru the coach/AO at each school.
Can S enlist support of language dept head? At both schools he made contact with the dept head of language he is fluent in as he wants to load up on language courses. Can dept heads have the “pull” a coach can to get a kid off WL?
After reading this thread and others, we are considering giving the WL at both schools until A14, as it seems the initial gears begin turning A8-A12? Then if nothing by A14, maybe A17, go find a bed at the third school S is finishing app for now. There again he will have 2 coaches supporting, one of them an AO. So far the coach/AO thing has not worked in his favor.
Did have another BS coach call him last week out of blue (upon recommendation from a second Ivy HC at diff school son is committed to, from S’s secondary sport, saying S was available and looking for a PG slot for next year). Not a BS we had ever considered. Have not begun app there yet. Would then be 4th school in mix.
Incidentally, rereading your earlier post, “can Ivy coach help with WL issue at school w coach contact?” Have not gone there really. We assumed he had already laid groundwork. This whole thing has really backfired on many fronts. Perhaps most importantly was the reaction from Ivy coach. His immediate thought when S was WL 2X was, “What do they know, that I don’t?” S has since passed a second read at Ivy, no skeletons found and offer still there, but another stressful two weeks with that issue, in addition to “finding a bed for next year.”
In summary:
ACT - 31
Wtd - 3.75
IVY committed athlete for 2018 class
Year abroad Jr. year (Europe, fluent foreign language)
4-year merit scholar at highly competitive BS
WL-PG at two HADESC schools
Applying now to 3rd HADESCL school
The more people calling the admissions office on your son’s behalf, the better. Did the college coach recommend a school to you? He probably has pull somewhere. I would definitely ask the college coach to reach out to at least your current #1 school and see if that will make a difference. The head coach of an Ivy League program calling the admissions office to ask for their assistance has to offer a lot of weight, seeing as these schools are trying to get so many kids into his Ivy League school and others.
Thanks for your cautionary tale. Being asked “are we your #1?” Sucks. We were put in the same position.
Director of Admissions? If your back up is solid, you have some time.
And maybe consider mentioning ivy coach’s comment to them somehow. Most schools would not want to lose that traffic. It’s also possible the coach just didn’t have pull in committee at that point and DA could make it happen. Hopefully, coach would be happy and not mad you’d pulled rank.
Not sure what happened but I typed an entire post and then deleted it somehow? I hate when that happens.
This whole thing has been a train wreck on many different fronts. One would think college coach and BS coach would have sort of, been on the same page, and at least as far as communication goes. Would have been great to get a heads up before the WL notification from S’s original #1 that he would not be receiving 100% coach support. BS coach gave son an explanation of sorts, but not going to get into it here. Let’s just say it was a matter of the number of PGs applying and the slots available. Ironically S had 100% coach support (x2 even secondary sport coach was on board) from BS he said was his #2, then said coach support went south, after he told them they were his second choice. Completely understandable from their point of view. Our assumption was that with the college coach introduction to the BS coach would be the groundwork laid. What else to do but nail the interview, present app, with solid recs (no reason to believe anyone torpedoed son with a soft rec), but that is a thought in back of mind.
GSG’s idea of dealing directly with AO is a great idea (and I typed an entire response already GSG but deleted it somehow??) anyway, GSG…at the two schools WL at, there are two coaches at each school son has been working with, his primary sport coach and a secondary sport coach, so two at each school. 3 of the 4 coaches are AOs. So I’m not sure who else to deal with? I guess you are saying going directly to DA? Is that someone even accessible this week? I’ve never even considered going to the person behind the curtain?
BS-HC at son’s new #1 (old #2) says he has been bombarding DA with info, updates, etc. Is this not enough? BS-HC has been there decades, coaches two sports, and I would think knows the system as well as anyone. But I can also try to contact DA too. As I think about it? I will. Today.
One other Q: how about dept. heads? Do they have the pull a coach might have? S has emailed and spoken on phone with the language dept head he is fluent in (from year abroad in Europe). Might they have a voice?
One more piece of info, as far as simply finding a bed for next year. Last week out of blue a 4th BS-HC who coaches both son’s sports (primary and secondary) called to see if he was interested in his HADESCL school? Said an Ivy HC (in son’s secondary sport) tipped him off S was still looking for PG spot for next year. We had never considered this school until the phone call. But son is up to his eyeballs right now with his current sport, finishing app to 3rd BS, keeping his GPA up to Ivy standards, that I can not ask him now to begin a 4th app. We may wait until after A14 to see if anything happens, then begin the 4th app. That is if nothing happens at 3rd school where app is nearly complete.
Thanks for all advice. Will email DA today.
In summary:
ACT: 31
GPA: 3.75 (wtd)
Graduating from highly competitive BS this June
4-year merit scholar
Jr. year abroad Europe (fluent in host county language)
Ivy sport commit - 2018 class
2-sport impact athlete
WL at two HADESCL schools for PG year 2017-2018
Hi @ChoatieMom & @RedSoxFan18 I’m sure that’s the case as well, but we are on a bunch of waitlists and a few said they would start making waitlist decisions before A10 (maybe as late as 48-24 hours before, but still…) I’m not sure if this WL policy varies by school or by student, but it does seem to be a shift from past years. I wonder if schools felt that they were missing out on prime WL candidates by notifying them after A10, or if they are able to take a few before the date and the rest after?