For the two schools I was waitlisted for, I’m not sure what to do (as it’s my first time being on a wait list).
I sent a really formal letter with my wait list responses. I still want to call the schools (around the first week of April), but who should I call? Should I simply call the front desk of the admissions office, or schedule a phone call with my interviewer? If I should schedule a phone call with my interviewer, should I email him for an appointment or call the front office of the admissions office for an appointment? Also, should I call earlier, before the first week of April?
Thanks to everybody’s help on CC for this whole thing. It feels really nice having people help me throughout this entire process.
If the point of your call is simply to express your interest, don’t bother, it won’t help. If a school goes to the waitlist – and that’s a huge if – that fact that you made a phone call will not factor into their decision on who to take off the list. If you want to talk to the AO because you have an actual question, then simply send him or her an email asking if there would be a convenient time to have a quick phone call.
Its usually best if an adult can call on your behalf (parent or guidance counselor). The AO will likely give more candid feedback on what was the issue with your application. Once you find out the weaknesses, try to address them.
The good news is that being on the waitlist means that your scores and grades were good enough – its usually something else that prevented you from being moved to the accept pile. Find out what the reason was and make a case for yourself. Sometimes this could be financial aid, boy/girl ratio, boarding/day, geography, sports, etc.