<p>To the many of you who seem gnostic about these things: are you still expecting more movement than in ordinary years off wait lists after April 10, or was all the previous discussion about it merely wild speculation????</p>
<p>My guess is yes, there will be quite a lot of movement into the summer. Many families seem to be deciding they don’t want to commit to private education in this economy. The yield among full paying families is bound to be less this year. </p>
<p>Some schools already attempted to correct for this before admitting, but many will use WL’s as the key enrollment management tool.</p>
<p>hmom,
Thank you for your comments. However, you say “many families seem to be deciding they do not want to commit to private education…” What do you base that statement on?</p>
<p>I’m on a waitlist. I was told that it was a short waitlist, and was also told that I would be “one of the first who was offered admission”. So, I’m at the top of a short waitlist. I’m also doing all the waitlist stuff you need to do (write a letter, send current good grades, talk about accomplishments, etc.)</p>
<p>Are there tops and bottoms to waitlists, or just plain vanilla waitlists? My understanding is that a candidate is pulled off a waitlist in order to replace a similar one who has withdrawn, in the interests of preserving the character of the admitted class. So a girl is replaced with a girl, and a boy with a boy. A volleyball player is replaced with another voleyball player, etc, within the limits that the size and diversity of the waitlist impose.</p>
<p>To a degree PAN they replace with a similar student but they are also looking to round out their class, so whomever fits that purpose best can be taken off the waitlist.</p>
<p>I base my thought on my experience at a day school with similar demographics. And on the fact that this economy/crisis has deeply impacted many families financially.</p>
<p>And any exchange for a waitlist candidate must be BUDGET NEUTRAL: only if x dollars are gained when an accepted FA student backs out can those dollars be committed to a waitlisted FA candidate. A full pay who backs out may only be replaced with another full pay. The budget is spent. Am I correct?</p>
<p>hmom,
You are likely correct. But, with all due respect, a statement such as “many families seem to be deciding they do not want to commit to private education” risks giving a lot of hope to waitlisted students. Just my humble two pennies.</p>
<p>I do believe that statement is justified however, pan. Many families ARE deciding whether they want to commit to private education, including mine" However many decide to or not to is yet to be known.</p>
<p>Gray,
from your previous posts, I think that you are full pay and waitlisted at Hotchkiss. Congratulations and I wish you the best. So are waitlisted full pays justified in being more hopeful this year???</p>
<p>yes, kids who were accepted as FP students or already attend but cannot pay the tuition will drop out and most likely the student pulled up from the waitlist is FP as the FA has run out. Also, kids who were admitted but not given the necessary FA will drop out. </p>
<p>I also attend private school in Paris this year and in Denver next year so I do know something about private schools and how it effects families and admissions.</p>
<p>May I pm you?</p>
<p>I mean may I pm you, Gray?</p>
<p>yea no problem</p>
<p>Thanks for the response, Gray.</p>
<p>Pan, it’s not as simple as what you described. The demands on budgets are ever changing. Every day these schools are getting calls from existing student’s families with a new job loss or other financial reversal. At my school we’re also seeing a higher yield rate than in the last few years for those who were offered generous aid.</p>
<p>In the end, I do believe your conclusion is correct, it will be a good year for some full pay students on waiting lists. I say some because schools took different approaches to admitting this year–some built a lower yield into their acceptance numbers, others didn’t.</p>