USC doesn't have a waitlist -- unique?

Applying to College
1

<p>In the USC (Los Angeles) brochures the college says that they don't have a waitlist. Can this really be true? Without the buffer of a waitlist, especially in a era of many multiples of applications per student, how can they possibly have confidence that they can calibrate class size? All universities are at risk for over-admitting and ending up with larger classes; but I thought universities never want to under-admit and this was the purpose of the waitlist.</p>

<p>I really can't find any other university that puts itself so at risk as USC in this respect.</p>

2

<p>wow, I had no idea they did that. I wonder why. I agree with you, it seems very risky. Maybe they have had past experience that most of their admitted students enroll? It seems possible considering how popular it is…</p>

3

<p>I am pretty sure they know what they are doing vs folks like us who has no idea what goes on inside an admissions office …</p>

4

<p>they do have Plan B, however. 'SC offers some, lower scoring kids a spring start date. Should their yield fall short for fall, they can always go back and offer the spring admits an earlier start.</p>

5

<p>I don’t think Vanderbilt has a wait list?</p>