<p>My D was wait listed from her 1st choice school. She is seriously heart broken. Basically because she applied way back in Nov and is only just gettign notified now......it was a VERY long wait. </p>
<p>The instructions on the letter stated, not to send any additional information or teacher recomendations, just to fill out the form which asked for her most recent grades.</p>
<p>My question is have any parents had this experience with their children? Any sucess stories?</p>
<p>Also what about etiquette? They encurraged her to accept at another school to ensure she has a place in the fall. SO you accept, place down the deposits, go forward like this other school will be your new University, only to cancel and change directions if you make it off the waiting list? Maybe the etiquette thing is all in my head, maybe this happens alot?</p>
<p>Bummer for you and your D, LTempleton. Others have had luck getting off a waitlist by doing exactly as the letter instructs you NOT to do–send extra teacher/counselor recommendations, updated information of awards won, etc. besides the most recent grades. </p>
<p>I would say that your D should fill out the required form, write a nice cover letter “I really want to come to University X” and send them both in. </p>
<p>Last year, when D decided to stay on one waitlist, she didn’t feel strongly enough about it to jump through any hoops. Just sent in her form. We told her to go on with her life as if the waitlist had been a rejection, pick from the colleges that accepted her and if she comes off the waitlist, she can once again consider the WL college. </p>
<p>As for whether it is proper for a student to ditch one college for another during the summer, this is something that all colleges plan on and make allowances for–it’s called the “summer melt.”</p>
<p>It’s definitely allowed. What your daughter is not allowed to do is to commit to two universities at the same time. If she makes it off the waitlist and decides she wants the second school, she must withdraw her acceptance and accept the waitlist school. Usually you lose your deposit, but in the scale of things that’s fairly small potatoes.</p>
<p>I second everything Ellenmope said, especially if there are any new accomplishments she should share them. If there is a specific adcom for your area she can try to contact that person directly because this is the person who will be her advocate.</p>
<p>I wish I could tell you that my S got off the WL but he didn’t. He did visit a school he was accepted to that he had not visit before and loved it. While last year he thought he might try and transfer this year he is completely happy where he is and wouldn’t have it any other way. I hope it is the same for your daughter.</p>
<p>D has a very good friend that got off the wait list in Aug. He committed on May 1 to his second choice school but never gave up hope on school number 1.</p>
<p>My S was on a waitlist until August a couple of years ago. He waited, in part, because the WL school had better aid and was closer to home. These reason were perhaps more important to me. In the end, he didn’t make it into the WL school but he was really okay with it. Loves his current school and has no regrets. I find that most kids will move on and get excited about the school they will be attending. Perhaps we as parents, hang onto the rejections and the wait-lists?</p>
<p>When placed on a waitlist, a student needs to proceed with the #2 choice as if the student was rejected from the #1 choice. The student needs to put down deposits, select housing, etc, at the #2 school.</p>
<p>Then, if the student somehow comes off the waitlist, then the student can decide what to do.</p>
<p>I don’t know about this school in particular, but for some schools, it is rare to get selected from the waitlist.</p>
<p>Waitlist seems to be huge this year - even more so than last year. I work at a hs and last year - we did have several students come off the waitlist in May - so there’s always hope. That being said, it is much more likely that your D will NOT get off the waitlist - so put down a deposit by May 1 and help her to be enthusiastic about that school.</p>
<p>From your other posts, I see that your D’s other choices have given her merit scholarships. Will those scholarships make her education more affordable? I think I remember an earlier post of yours saying that if your D got into her #1 pick (OOS UWashington), you’d have to take out big loans. </p>
<p>So, maybe getting waitlisted is a blessing in disguise. What are the schools that gave her merit money? Does she like those schools?</p>
Yes, it happens a lot - it is the way the waitlists work. You have to accept a spot somwhere, you will not know if your D gets off the waitlist till waaay after May 1.</p>
<p>The chances of getting off the waitlist are very slim, so she should not count on it, and should embrace her next-on-the-list school. Some kids find it easier not to stay on the waitlist, and just move on.</p>
<p>No personal experience here, but I do know 2 kids from our HS who got off the waitlist at Stanford.</p>
<p>Just wondering-- D got a letter that didn’t use the word ‘waitlist’ at all. The term they used was you are an ‘alternate’. I’m assuming they mean the same thing, but have to admit that alternate sounds more polite.</p>
<p>My S got off a waitlist last year. He sent back the letter and showed strong interest. He went ahead and committed to another school in May. Had to put down a tuition and housing deposit. He found out early June he was off the waitlist. We lost our deposits at the other school, which actually were pretty significant. This college business is really expensive!</p>
<p>We are living the college app process for the first time in my house and it’s been an eye opener. My D - 4.0 uw, NMF, 32 ACT, EC’s, 4, 5’s on AP’s etc - has been waitlisted at her 1st choice/WASHU, 3rd choice/Uchicago, rejected by Duke, and waiting for letter from Vandy.</p>
<p>i feel like I’ve been so naive. This kid worked her but off for years with the goal of going to one of her top choice schools. All along the way I told her there would be a payoff. Of COURSE I’m putting a happy face on it at home, but I feel very disillusioned with the whole game. She may very well end up at one of her safeties, and I’ll sure give the pep talks, but it will feel like settling.</p>
<p>Pardon my whinyness. I’m at a loss. Fingers crossed for Vandy!</p>
<p>Curious, but was was the rest of her application like? I have a feeling those schools get a lot of applicants similar to your D otherwise- it doesn’t sound like she’s “underqualified” as it were.</p>
<p>Teacher/counselor rec’s should have been very good, strong essays - she’s won writing competitions and had several mentors give feedback on these, active in stuco/facing history/big bro, big sis/4 years cross country, nhs. We visited campuses, had interviews, she followed up with emails voicing interest.
Again, I just don’t know what more she could have done. I’ll rally and find the silver lining and tomorrow will be another day, but darn it - today I’m weepy & shocked and worried about my kid.</p>
<p>Timeflew, I feel for you, we were in a similar situation last year, down to being WL’d by the 1st choice school, WashU. He did get accepted to a great school that was not on his immediate radar after the WL’s came. I am so thankful for that. I know exactly how you feel. Its hard to watch your kid work hard for a goal and then not get it even though you know they are qualified and a great match for a a school. Fortunately he could love his safeties which were also good choices, but not great to him. We did all we could to help S see the good in those schools and he was disappointed but able to move on and I know he would have been happy even if he wasn’t admitted to his current school. It was all good once that admission was received. (That is, except the part about finding funds to make it work.) It is so hard to understand the process and what separates a WL from an admit. My fingers are crossed for you too, all she needs is admission to one school she loves. I learned from our experience it is possible for a student to refocus and find another school they love and that school can be a safety.</p>
<p>Thank you for the kind words, Spectrum. I Know that this time next year we’ll probably look back an laugh, but I did not anticipate the process being soooooo stressful. I just needed to vent and hear happy ever after stories from you guys who’ve been there, done that.</p>
<p>And yes, we thought we had a range or reach, match, and safety, but always thought those reaches were WITHIN reach. Again - naive!</p>
<p>timeflew, We are SO with you. S is waitlisted from #1 choice and got “No’s” from some others. He does have a strong option available but I feel for him. He really, really worked hard on applications and did his best. I find myself angry on his behalf. What are we doing to these kids? They work so hard . . . for what? To get either a NO or a chance to go into debt?</p>
<p>Somehow we need to change educational opportunities so that anyone willing to work is met with a chance to become educated without slap downs or horrendous debt (I’m ok with there being a personal cost for education – but, honestly, I wish we’d go back to spartan dorm rooms and spartan gyms and affordable costs!).</p>
<p>Speaking of cost, I have a question about waitlists and FA–our son has been waitlisted at two of his top choices, and he’s mulling whether to stay on the waitlists or not. We have a pretty low EFC. Is waitlist selection need-aware? And if you do get selected, can you expect FA comparable to what you would have gotten as a regular admit, or is it more of a “last to the table gets the scraps” kind of scenario?</p>