<p>so how does teh waitlist option work? can you accept the waitlist spot on more than one college? but since you have to reply to colleges by may 1st, and waitlist accepts people in june/july, how do you accept waitlist college?</p>
<p>thanks in advance</p>
<p>If you intend to stay on a waitlist, you basically need to act as though you are going to attend another college on your list. You will need to send them a deposit, fill out your forms, etc. Assume that you will not make it off the waitlist. You should also research how many students are put on a waitlist, whether it is ranked, and generally how likely you are to make it off the list. </p>
<p>Many people, though, decide not to pursue a waitlist school. Most people who have made good college lists end up happy with the acceptence(s) they have.</p>
<p>My son has been wait listed to two schools. We have the letter for one and learned news of the other online (letter coming next week I presume). The one letter says we need to accept a spot on the wait list by mid April. By then he will know if he's accepted anywhere else. If you do accept another school's offer are you bound to the school you accept? Do you then decline being put on the wait list? Can you put yourself on a wait list, accept another offer and then rescind it if your wait listed school says they have a spot for you? Surely they don't expect you to refuse all others just to wait and see if a wait list school accepts you. What is ethical to do? Legal?</p>
<p>You basically need to accept and send a deposit to a school you were accepted to. Otherwise you could end up without a college. If you are then accepted off of a waitlist and decide to attend that school, you are negative about a thousand dollars (the initial deposit amount). I do not believe any action you take regarding waitlists is binding. If it is, I am sure they will tell you beforehand, and you will probably need to sign a contract... but I doubt this is the case. </p>
<p>I don't think you have any ethical or legal obligations. I do suggest, from an ethical standpoint, that you make it clear to schools you have no intention of attending that that is the case; otherwise, you may be taking the space of someone on their waitlist. </p>
<p>By the way, I'm just a senior, and I'm not on nor have ever been on any waitlists, so you'll want to check the information I'm giving you.</p>
<p>In addition to the postcard, if one of the 2 schools is really the top choice then he can write a letter promising to enroll if accepted, and also have your counselor call and let them know they're his top choice. When they turn to the waitlist its because they have a spot to fill. They can choose anyone on the waitlist, so they're much more likely to pick someone they know will enroll. </p>
<p>And let me add there are reasons to just walk away at this point and be satisfied with what you've got. On a waitlist you're up in the air, perhaps even until next fall. Its hard to get excited about where you DID enroll if you're hoping something will intervene to save you from that school. And you should check with the schools regarding financial aid if that is a factor. At some schools they've awarded everything to the admits, and there's nothing left to offer kids from the waitlist.</p>
<p>You should contact the schools and find out how many kids they put on the waitlist in the past 2 or 3 years and how many got in from the waitlist. One game schools play is to put huge numbers of kids on the waitlist even though they expect they will only take a small number of them. WUSTL, for example, is known for this. The thinking goes that uniformed parents and GC's will more or less equate waitlist with admit. How many times have you seen in the paper an article about admissions in which someone is described as waitlisted at some prestigious school? The intent is to convey they were pretty much in, and if a seat opens up they'll be enrolled. That may be true at some schools, but others use this perception to their advantage and put hundreds of kids on the waitlist they have NO intention of ever enrolling. </p>
<p>A lot of colleges are aiming to have tons of kids apply; it lets them be more picky over who they take, and it helps their ranking to appear more selective. With waitlisting they figure they aren't discouraging future applicants; future kids will figure "Joe got in --well waitlisted -- but I'm as good as him so I'll apply". Exactly what they want.</p>