<p>my friend (international) got off the waitlist with SAT 1: math 770 cr 500 wr 560 (1830 total) SAT2: mathl2 800 Physics 780 Chem 790... pretty low for MIT standard lol</p>
<p>he got rejected from Carnegie Mellon (scs), UCLA, UCB, and Stanford</p>
<p>I feel that the admission process at top universities is pretty random</p>
<p>Enough debating. Any waitlist news? How many remain on the waitlist, and does it look like they'll use it again?</p>
<p>I would like to clarify the waitlist process at MIT as I understand it.</p>
<p>About 500 applicants were offered places on the waitlist.
By May 1, probably around 70 applicants removed themselves from the waitlist.</p>
<p>After the acceptance yield was determined, 30 students were selected for possible admission.
The remainder, approximately 400, should have received letters notifying them they were no longer under consideration.</p>
<p>Of the 30 or so chosen, 20 were emailed offers of admission.</p>
<p>That's not because they have 20 open slots, I believe they actually had only about 11 slots, at the time the 20 were selected. But some applicants offered admission will decline, and some new slots will open up as a few students who had accepted a spot at MIT choose to go somewhere else where they got off of waitlist.</p>
<p>So there are maybe 10 people who didn't get a reject letter or an admit email.
In another week or so, depending on the numbers at that time, the remaining 10 will get a reject letter or admit email. Nobody who has already received a reject letter will be considered in that second round.</p>
<p>WAIT LIST FACTORS</p>
<p>Some of this discussion may not apply specifically to MIT, but is a factor in some colleges' waitlist decisions.</p>
<p>At many colleges, the wait-list is not just a simple ranking in order of the next best applicants. Rather, all applicants who make the waitlist are assumed qualified for admission and final selection may be based on other factors.</p>
<p>Let's say the number of UMG (under-represented minority group) who accepted an admission offer was below target. Find some in the wait-list pool. Same with gender balance. Nobody from South Dakota, see if there's one in the wait-list pool. Too many engineering students, not enough scientists-balance it out from the wait-list. Financial aid funds all spoken for, pick someone who is not asking for aid. (I don't know that MIT does that, but I can tell you that Johns Hopkins specifically says that could be a consideration.) Pick any target group-athletes, musicians-some school may take that into consideration for wait-list admits. So having the flexibility to fine tune the balance of the incoming class prompts colleges to have wait-lists much larger than are needed simply to fill a slight yield short-fall.
Unlike MIT, some colleges may go through this process even longer, June or July. </p>
<p>I understand that being waitlisted is torture. My daughter was waitlisted at 3 schools. (She got the reject letter from MIT this week.) But there is a logic to the process, and even to the numbers. Admissions people are not sadists. They are doing their best to achieve a balance of quality and diversity and other criteria they are given. I believe they could probably do a better job of communicating about the process and the timetable. I also understand that applicants disappointed with the result may attack the process or the decision makers. Neither is perfect. There's real pain and maybe you gotta cry or scream or rant before you say good-bye to a dream. </p>
<p>Take a break. Go to the beach. Then get ready to focus on making the most out of wherever you end up. Its time to be looking forward, not back.</p>
<p>MIT76 - Thanks for your thoughtful note. If the process works as you described, then it makes sense. I was under the impression that all 500 were kept in the dark until the very last moment but as you said, the more important thing is to make the most of what's in front of you ...</p>
<p>mathwiz,</p>
<p>did you get any letter in mail?
I haven't gotten anything yet.</p>
<p>Haven't heard yet. I guess we're two of ten.</p>
<p>MIT76, do you work at MIT admissions? Also, why were 20 people accepted for only 11 spots. MIT's regular yield is much higher than that, and waitlist yield is exceptionally high.</p>
<p>I have only one thing to say:</p>
<p>I can do you one better...</p>
<p>No rejection mail yet. I guess I might be on the extended waitlist.
All right you accepted people just don't go and leave out the space for me ok?</p>
<p>Wow... only ten left... I hope there'll be spots...</p>
<p>anyone has any news regard waitlist??</p>
<p>None here.</p>
<p>Cawaiigirl, are we the only two who are talking about the waitlist anymore on CC?</p>
<p>Well, I'd assume that they've pretty much finish all their waitlist acceptances by now, so blame the Post Office. But who knows, maybe they're still deliberating over those 5 precious spots that will send some kid screaming.</p>
<p>So... I heard that anyone who still hasn't heard from MIT (well... anyone who was originally on the waitlist of course...) is one of 10-20 people on the waitlist who will have a decision made about them in the upcoming few days.... </p>
<p>dum. da-da dum.</p>
<p>I contacted the office yesterday and they said that they didn't know if they were taking anyone off the waitlist this time...I don't know. I am still hoping that something good will happen.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>I've been waiting since October (Doubly waitlisted deferred EA applicant here).... To think the slightest thing could have tipped me one way or the another...</p>
<p>Did the waitlist people just die?</p>
<p>I don't think so. Some may have gotten in off the WL but most, if not all, went to other excellent schools.</p>
<p>So I'm guessing you're still waiting for your letters? Keep me updated if you get accepted.</p>
<p>To the very best of my knowledge, the last letters have gone.</p>
