Hello guys I’m terrified right now because I was waitlisted at Fordham University when I was pretty sure I was going to be accepted (bragging not intentional, just with my great academic stats & scientific research and Fordham’s 44% acceptance rate I thought I was going to be accepted especially after comparing my stats to some at CO 2021’s admitted thread). I applied to much more selective colleges including Barnard College of Columbia U, which I thought I was going to be accepted to (AND I KNOW ITS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO BARNARD) because I received an interview for their highly selective Science Pathway Scholars Program–which many people think it is an indicator of admission because you’re interviewed by highly esteemed faculty of the college who I don’t think they would waste their time on rejected students–but now that I was waitlisted at a less selective school I’m terrified I’m not going to be accepted by any of my other schools including my favorite Barnard and I haven’t been accepted anywhere else yet as I was rejected by my ED and waitlisted by Fordham. What should I do?? Please don’t take my first couple sentences as bragging and berate me for that in the comments, it’s just really what I truly thought but now I’m freaking out!!
Fordham was your safety school? Perhaps they sensed that in your application and didn’t want to waste an acceptance.
Chill. My daughter was accepted at reach colleges and waitlisted at colleges she thought were matches.
Fordham is need aware in admissions and also does not commit to meeting full aid for students – so a waitlist can also be simply a matter that the school thinks you are not particularly likely to attend and that it won’t be able to offer you aid that is competitive with other schools that are likely to admit you. If you are a high need applicant and they offer you $X-- that’s $X that they can’t offer to some student who is more likely to attend.
What science are you interested in studying? That could be a factor as well. For example, some schools might be looking to build up enrollment in a specific major, while other schools may feel that they have more students than they can handle with that major and have different priorities.
@calmom I need an incredibly large amount of financial aid as my family income annually is around $40k so do you think that could have swayed my decision? And I want to study chem.
Yes, that’s the whole point of the school being need-aware.
Look at it this way: Barnard has an initiative targeted toward women like you-- you already know what that is.
What do you offer to Fordham that Fordham clearly wants to prioritize? It’s not having high stats-- high stats are probably very valuable to Fordham in the early decision round when they know those students are promising to attend - but in RD round the ad com is going to be more concerned about yield. So they are going to be wary of admitting students who look like they are just using the school as a safety.
@calmom How would they think that their school is my safety?
@AcademiaSavvy Sometimes it is pretty clear… essays that are a bit generic, no visits or demonstrated interest, stats that are very high for the school and that would make an applicant very competitive for top level colleges. Ad coms might suspect that if accepted that applicant would not attend.
@Super Scared: Don’t be. Fordham put you on the equivalent of a financial aid waitlist because you need nearly 100% funding based on your family’s household income.
@AcademiaSavvy – if you are the SAME poster as @SuperScared --that is a violation of the CC TOS. If so, I’d suggest that you delete the second account before find both accounts being shut down.
@divarose Okay hopefully I didn’t do that for other schools
@calmom No lol I got into Fordham which was my safety too so I’m wondering how they would tell? I came across this on the BC page on CC
OK, I was confused because you asked, " How would they think that their school is my safety?" – which sounded like a question that would come from the OP.