<p>Seems like a LOT of people got waitlisted this year.</p>
<p>I just have a few questions/concerns:</p>
<li>“Over the past five years, between one and twenty-nine percent of those students who accepted a place on the waiting list were offered admission”</li>
</ol>
<p>Since this year was a huge record-setter in terms of both ED and RD applications, does this mean that this year will also have a higher-end % of waitlist acceptances (as in closer to 29% than 1%)?</p>
<li>“Please feel free to update your file with written information. We will make every effort to conclude decision-making by the end of June.”</li>
</ol>
<p>But they also said that applicants on the waitlist were “unranked”.</p>
<p>So… should we send them updated news and/or letters of interest, or does that not help at all?</p>
<p>1) Last year nobody got in off the waitlist...I do not know what the increased number of applicants means for this. </p>
<p>2) Because it's unranked it means that you have just as good a chance as anybody else of being taken off the waiting list. Send everything you can. Call the admissions office. Have teachers write additional recs... Everyone I know who has been accepted at any selective off a waitlist has generally contacted the admissions once a day. Do everything you can to show your interest in the school and highlight your accomplishments. There is still hope!!! Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Yeah it is a little ridiculous. Basically it all comes down to who wants it the most which is demonstrated by who does the most about their wait list status. I really don't know what the acceptance rate will be off the waiting list this year...nobody does at this point. Admissions this year is different with dealing with kids who would have applied early decision to the Ivys. All you can do is decide how much it's worth to you. If you do to decide to pursue it, really, good luck. I hope everything works out for you in the end.</p>
<p>Just want to add one caveat: I am not going off any personal experience...just what my friends dealt with when they were trying to get in places like Cornell off the waiting list. Before you do anything, including make a decision about accepting a place on the waiting list, you should definitely talk to your counselor and see what they have to say. They would definitely know more than me.</p>
<p>Welll my counselor really wouldn't know anything. </p>
<p>I'm probably just going to add myself to the waiting list, not do anything, and not expect to get in. There's no harm in adding yourself to the waiting list, correct?</p>
<p>The reason I'm so miffed is that after this whole convoluted college application process all for the sake of judging some esoteric definitions of character, that UChicago (UChicago, for goodness sake) would ask for good old-fashioned whining and nagging to cap off its final round of admissions</p>
<p>I don't know if I'm going to bother staying on the waitlist. The chances of getting accepted are slim, and the effort... oh the effort. New recommendations, phone calls, etc. Oh, UChicago...</p>
<p>What on earth could one say in a phone call anyhow? "Hi, I'm just calling in to say that I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to be accepted. Teehee! Bai bai now!"</p>
<p>Yeah I don't know what people say in the phone calls. I guess I was lucky, I just got flat out rejected at my top choice schools and didn't have to bother. If you decide to stay on the waitlist though, at least send them an updated list of accomplishments or something.</p>
<p>Eh. I pretty much already pulled all my shots after the deferral. Sent in an email basically saying "I'm still interested" except with more words. Might send a second letter of interest closer to May. Otherwise, I don't really think there's anything left for me to do.</p>
<p>Quite frankly, I can't bring myself to bug the admissions office daily anyhow. No matter how I look at it, that just seems outright rude and obnoxious to me.</p>
<p>does any1 think the uchicago waitlist this yr seems like "washu syndrome" or "tufts syndrome," where they dont accept the 1s they think are using it as a safety?</p>
<p>Yeah but you have to understand that they don't really "try" to admit people from the waitlist. It's based on their yield. If less people than expected decide to attend then a lot of people get off the waiting list but for the past few years the yield has gone way up which is bad for the waiting list.</p>
<p>On second thought, I wrote a pretty kick-ass essay on why I want to study economics, but it was very direct and forceful and wasn't suited for the uncommon app; I sent it to a different school.</p>
<p>I keep hearing people mutter, "time to send in new recs, ec's, lists, essays, grades"... but is it really customary to send in new essays?</p>
<p>How would I go about this? Since it's just sitting there, I figure it won't hurt because all 3 of my official essays were maybe TOO creative and fluffy.</p>
<p>But I mean... it would be clear that my essay was meant as an admissions essay, so it doesn't seem right</p>
<p>"Everyone I know who has been accepted at any selective off a waitlist has generally contacted the admissions once a day. "</p>
<p>That sounds a bit over the top for Chicago. </p>
<p>Once you have heard from the rest of your schools, and you decide to go on the waitlist, you should definitely let your GC know - especially if Chicago is your top choice. Send whatever supporting materials that the spirit moves you to - then forget about it and pick another school. If you have done your admissions homework - and I think that most of you have - you either have wonderful options now, or will have in a week and a half. Chicago is only one of many fabulous schools.</p>