<p>So I took a deep breath and sent my application into James Madison University.</p>
<p>I'm hoping for a "Congratulations" come decision time, but what do I do if I get waitlisted? I've heard you have to accept your spot on the waiting list but can I also keep my options open for the other schools? Like do I have to say no to all other acceptances if I accept my spot of the waiting list?</p>
<p>My plan was to call the admissions office and see how far up on the list I am and if I'm high up, accept the spot and hope for the best and if I'm near the bottom to decline the spot and accept another offer.</p>
<p>But I was looking at how many people get in and how many accept their spot. This is a fictional statistic for time purposes but if they accept 12,000 students and only 4,000 accept their spots in the freshmen class, do the 3,000 spots that were given up go to the waitlisters?</p>
<p>I'm actually really confused by this whole process and I want to talk to my college coordinator but she's never in her office and it's impossible to make an appointment with her so...here I am.</p>
<p>Can anyone give me information? Perhaps suggest a course of action in case I do get waitlisted? Share stories of a time you were waitlisted and/ or accepted from the waitlist?</p>
I’m assuming you meant “off the waiting list” here. This spring you accept one and only one of the schools that has offered you a place. There is no “keeping my options open” with regards to acceptances. You say yes to one, decline all the others.</p>
<p>Should you later get in off the waitlist, then you decide whether to go to the school where you got off the waitlist (and notify the other school you won’t be coming after all).
No. Schools have a general idea of their yield. If Shmoe U expects 40% of students it offers a spot to accept and it has room for 1000 frosh, it will accept 2,500 students. If they are right, then they will get 1000 students enrolled. If they were a little optimistic and it turns out fewer than 40% plan to enroll, only then do they turn to the waitlist.</p>
<p>I suggest you read thru a good book on college admissions to understand the whole process better. One such book is “Admission Matters”.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, I’m still slightly confused. So if I did happen to get on the waiting list and I accepted my spot off of it, I would have to say no to every school that offered me a place? Or can I accept my spot off the waiting list and still have the opportunity to go to another school come May 1st when I need to decide where I’m going if I don’t get into JMU off the waiting list? Sorry if I’m coming across as stupid. I’m really not very educated on this part of the admissions process. Thank you for responding though!</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Accept admission to 1 school that has accepted you and send them your deposit.</p></li>
<li><p>Accept a spot on the JM WL.</p></li>
<li><p>If accepted off the JM WL, you will tell them you accept and send them your deposit. Then you will immediately tell the school in #1 that you will not be attending and will likely lose your deposit (depends on the school).</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You’re the only one who can really answer that question. It depends on your family income, how much you really want to go to JM, how you look at the deposit relative to other costs of application/admission, etc.</p>
<p>To elaborate further: let’s say school A accepts you, while B and C offer you wait list spots.</p>
<p>1) you accept A’s offer (your only one) and make a deposit like entomom said.</p>
<p>2) Assuming that both B and C are more preferred by you than A, go ahead and accept each school’s WL spot.</p>
<p>3) if B offers you a spot, and you still want it, accept it, withdraw from A (lose deposit) and make a new deposit at B.</p>
<p>4) let’s say the scenario happens where C is actually your first choice and comes to you late in the summer with an offer off their WL. Even at that point, you can withdraw a 2nd time: this time withdrawing from B to accept C’s late offer. That’s allowed.</p>
<p>Also know that simply accepting a WL spot does not obligate you to accept an offer later. You’re still in control. You can turn them down later if you desire. </p>
<p>Know also that Fin Aid tends to be less and less the later it goes in the admit cycle, too. Good luck</p>