<p>I agree with you, endlessrecession, that kids (parents, too!) can get obsessed with one college (or with a type of college … e.g., Ivy) in a way that is unhealthy or which puts blinders on them when it comes to considering the other great choices out there.</p>
<p>But I also think that making a big effort to get off of a waitlist isn’t necessarily tantamount to being obsessed with one college. There are many reasons that spur a student to pursue a waitlist school with fervor. For instance, this school may meet certain needs (including, perhaps, financial need) that none of the colleges that did say “YES” can equal. </p>
<p>There are often students who are turned down everywhere except at a safety school and one waitlist college. In such cases, the student is especially eager to go after that waitlist school, though it’s far from an obsession. Sure, in a perfect world, the safety school would be very attractive to the applicant, too. But, realistically, this isn’t usually the case.</p>