<p>Elite</a> Colleges Reach Deeper Into Wait Lists - WSJ.com</p>
<p>University of Wisconsin - Madison</p>
<p>Admitted from wait list</p>
<p>2007: 6
2008: 800</p>
<p>Xiggi:</p>
<p>Looks like Wisc has gotten into a pilot induced oscillation of correction and over-correction. I'm sure that 6 wasn't the number they were looking for (probably an overcorrection from the prior year) and another overcorrection this year results in 800.</p>
<p>When race car drivers loose control and start fishtailing back an forth, they often say, "I got behind in my steering..."</p>
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<p>BTW, I think a lot of people are going to start appreciating the stabilizing impact on the system of Early Decision, which remains the most efficient market for matching eager/willing/able buyers with eager/willing/able sellers.</p>
<p>Wisconsin is a popular choice around here. Kids were waitlisted in droves this year. Now I understand why. From the elites on down, I think there's a bunch of yield management going on this year.</p>
<p>Taking 800 students from the waiting list is a direct result of admitting 2,000 fewer students than last year for a similar enrolled class of about 5,600 to 5,700 -- chosen from a pool of about 25,000. </p>
<p>In so many words, UW was wildly optimistic when projecting an admission rate of below 50% and especially a yield rate of above 50%.</p>
<p>PS I-dad, not every school is able to recruit large classes via ED. Take a look at schools such as Wellesley or Smith. Despite accepting ED students at mind-bogglingly high rates, they can't get reach substantial numbers of ED applications. For an ED program to work, a school needs to be the clear first choice of students.</p>
<p>xiggi:</p>
<p>That's a good point; however, the failure of a place like Wellesley to attract ED applicants probably speaks to the overall inefficiency in the current system and the resulting inability of applicants to answer the most fundamental question:</p>
<p>"What is the best college that can reasonably be expected to accept me?"</p>
<p>The answer at the end of the day is going to be "Wellesley" for a lot of students who go through a long, circuitous, and often unnecessary route to get there.</p>
<p>Even with relatively few ED applicants, Wellesley still does the "system" a favor by taking 135 students out of the pipeline in December -- students who might otherwise be expected to hit the submit button on an additional 1000+ applications!</p>
<p>The multiplier effect of all these applications is creating a clogged, inefficient system and making it harder, not easier to answer that simple question I posed above.</p>
<p>Well Xiggi, looks like the WSJ reporter led us off the path. The UW needs only 220 students to hit the target 5700. The 800 figure was a high guess of how many off the waitlist might need to contacted to reach the need number (call 800 to get 220 to say OK). Here's the updated story. So you may still win the bet but not by a landslide.</p>
<p>UW-Madison</a> admits wait-listed students (May 22, 2008)</p>