<p>So the vibe I'm getting is</p>
<p>stay on the waitlist when there's a history of it being utilized and a fair number get off, as is the case with a lot of select programs (like Olin or USC's film/tv programs), or smaller schools that can't predict yield with the same reliability, or schools that lose students due to more prestigious universities taking students from slightly less so (like at notre dame).</p>
<p>My daughter is on 3 waitlists--one of which is her dream school, where she didn't feel she had any chance at all (Stanford). When we got the news she was waitlisted there, we were ecstatic: not because we think she has a chance to get in, but just that she was acknowledged in that way. It made her feel really good; she felt validated for her hard work in high school, like someone noticed her. We're staying on the waitlists, but we're realistic, too. She has 3 other fine choices and will commit to one of them. And then, we'll just see what happens.</p>
<p>it really does depend on the school
at my daughter school they use the waitlists and actually move people
at some other schools it seems to be used to "let people down easy?"
by admitting more to the waitlist than they admitted to the school in the first place
this seems dishonest to me-</p>
<p>I think you can look at size of the school and waitlist history, but it would be so hard to say no your dream school. Speaking as someone who was taken off the waitlist and is now at his dream school, there was nothing my parents (no matter how good their intentions were) could have said that would have made me think it was a good idea to say no when offered a second chance, and believe me they tried. I wouldn't attach myself to six waitlists or the waitlist of a school I wasn't crazy about, but if it's your dream school, in my opinion, you have to give it a shot. Even if they only take one student off the waitlist, that one student could be you. There's certainly something to be said against the emotional distress of being on a waitlist, but there's also something to be said for not having to ask yourself later "what if."</p>
<p>FWIW, bing121086, my daughter's experience was the same as yours! She was fortunate not to have to wait too long after May 1 to get the good news, but she did end up at her dream school. New letters of support from faculty made all the difference. However, I would not have wished for S2 to have been waitlisted by his top school as he is a kid who really requires closure. Seems to me that whether or not to stay on waitlist is a very individual matter.</p>
<p>As someone who was waitlisted 5 times last year, I recommend staying on the waitlists but actively persuing the ones you are interested in. Contact your alumni-interviewer (especially for a small LAC), or whomever you were in contact with at that school. Also have your guidance counselor call. Do NOT forget to send new info about grades/ECs they can make all teh difference.</p>
<p>
[quote]
movinmom the one thing about last year's experience that I would do differently is not to stay on the wait list.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Andi:</p>
<p>I basically agree with you. Your situation was somewhat unique; there was little rational choice but to battle along on the waitlists. However, I still feel badly about the encouragement I gave. Specifically, seeing the actual waitlist numbers at one school for the first time in this year's Common Data Set was a real eye-opener for me. I had no idea.</p>
<p>On the plus side, the lessons Andison learned in pursuing the waitlists in a targeted way obviously paid off this year, so the effort wasn't completely wasted.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. It looks like D will decide between her top three choices and get excited about matriculating at that school (this could be a grueling process in itself!). She will put her name on the waitlist of her dream school, lobby for herself as best she can, and then move on. She thinks she would always wonder if she didn't take advantage of this "second chance." I printed off the responses and she can see the two perspectives clearly. Thanks for sharing.</p>