<p>My S was waitlisted at one school. He said it’s like being a safety student (as in a safety school).</p>
<p>An excerpt from a blog by an ad com in response to a student:</p>
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<p>Since I’m new to this process, my S was waitlisted to a school he REALLY wants to go to, and he has been working the waitlist process very well. But I’m unclear about 1 thing given that he was waitlisted @ his top 2 schools. If school B comes in with an offer, how long is the offer good for? esp. since he might not know about school A? I can’t believe the Admission Office at either school is going to wait too long for an answer becuz there must be other kids on the list…sorry If i missed something here but I’m worried that 2 days after B comes through, A will come through. What a mess…(all assuming they even go to the waiting lists)</p>
<p>one thing my son did was find an alum and go an interview with him/her if you can. We actually drove to NYC from Boston to interview with the most influential alum we could find. What my S said was “look interview me and if you don’t think I’m right for your school, then tell them. Obviously, if you do, please tell them.” It worked out very well as the Alum wrote the president, the head of admissions and the head of postgraduation career counseling (which is where the alum is powerful - he places people.) Even if my son doesn’t get in, he made a great great contact for NYC later. S also contacted a professor in an area in which he has talent at the school. the prof was great about it and has volunteered to speak for him.</p>
<p>The percentage of students coming off waitlists is usually tiny, so the chances of coming off two is vanishingly small. Anyone have an anecdote about hitting the waitlist lottery twice?</p>
<p>I’d like to reply to Colleges00701’s post asking about a person who has multiple WL opportunities and writing the letter to state that she will attend if accepted (rather than the advice that says to do it to only one school). I would say to write that “I will attend” letter to all six. Why? Because at the time of writing, she has zero guarantee that ANY of the six will make her an offer – so her statement of intent can (IMHO) be sincere. If one of the six gives offers her admit off of the WL, she WILL attend. </p>
<p>I would agree that over the top “You’re my first choice no matter what happens” language to each school is crossing a line – I would discourage that.</p>
<p>And there’s little chance that schools are talking with one another about names on their WLs and potential offers.</p>
<p>Check your school’s Naviance data. I found groups of schools that extend lots of waitlists, but then offer matriculation to ZERO. In one example a school offered 11 acceptances, but 31 waitlists - of which none converted to acceptance. I am mistified by the point of that game; I’d skip the waitlist precess at this school.</p>
<p>On the other hand some colleges offer a scattering of waitlists, some of which were accepted, some denied. These schools would be worth a follow up letter.</p>
<p>Under colleges look at the scattergrams, and count dots.</p>
<p>a few pages back on this thread blueducky wrote that he/she was just plain “out of energy” after this whole process and didn’t want to spend extra effort writing more letters, getting more recommendations…i just want to wholeheartedly second that! This admissions bs has really put me through the ringer, made it hard for me to enjoy my senior year, and really sucked me dry of passion/enthusiasm for college in general. </p>
<p>I’m on 5 freakin’ waitlists (offered waitlist spots at 6 schools) - and yea, maybe I could write something about how I’m a perfect fit for princeton or swarthmore or the other places, but I already did that in my original app. there isn’t much more to say. (with the exception of Dartmouth - because this school had no supplement to the common app, and I feel that if there had been a supplement they would have understood just how committed I was to the place. however, i’m just too exhausted to write something up for them now. It’s weird… after four years of writing/brainstorming essays in my head about how much I loved this school, and then having the admissions process come and go without a chance to express those feelings (they eliminated their supplement!!!), and now having this last chance by being waitlisted - well, it’s insane. and I am SICK AND TIRED OF PLAYING GAMES WITH THESE PEOPLE!</p>
<p>i definitely do want to get off the waitlists, but I feel that after working hard on applications/going to alumni interviews/visiting campuses since last summer, I deserve a break. These colleges, they should have accepted me the first chance they had. Heck, I even expected a likely letter from Dartmouth. </p>
<p>At this time of year, the colleges are supposed to be wooing us, not the other way around. I want to be invited to some admitted students weekends and get some special handwritten notes convincing me to attend. I want a chance to choose. Waiting to be chosen is getting really old.</p>
<p>I am a dude…but that was my point, I mean I have a small chance of coming off any 1 of the waitlist, might as well tell them all that if they offer me a spot, I will attend…</p>
<p>I wonder what would people do when they don’t get in their top choice schools and don’t get taken off from the wait list? Would they go to community colleges and plan to transfer or apply for summer semester or stay another year at high school (for those who didn’t take any challenging courses like AP or IB ) and accumulate their credits by committing in all kinds of activities that would contribute the best result for the next year application?</p>
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<p>+1</p>
<p>I really couldn’t have put it better myself.</p>
<p>I was gonna quote that post too.</p>
<p>Especially that last paragraph. :'(</p>
<p>I am on three waitlists and feel the same way. It is exhausting after all the time and energy to be put on a waitlist. The other day I was reading an Mba student’s blog where she was talking about struggling with the rigorous curriculum and how this song fit what she was going through.</p>
<p>I recommend listening to it if you haven’t heard it before.
Ben Harper Fight Outta You</p>
<p>A lot of the lyrics really helped me with what I was going through. Especially the one about someone younger with more hunger but dont let them take the fight outta you.</p>
<p>I strongly advise anyone from saying if accepted, I will attend to multiple schools. Though you have no guarantee of acceptance from any of the schools you still have the possibility, and until the possibility is eliminated, that is what counts. Ask yourself, in the extremely unlikely case that I am accepted to all/both schools, which would I attend? You should only write that you will definitely attend if you are accepted to that one school. If accepted and you don’t attend, after saying that, your initial statement was, in fact, a lie, regardless of any excuses or sugarcoating you may attempt. To the other school(s), indicate a high level of interest, even say if accepted, it is highly likely that I will attend, but don’t lie.</p>
<p>admissions officers talk have rescinded offers in the past upon learning that an applicant gave a definite if accepted I will attend to multiple colleges. No, it is not common to be admitted off the waitlist, but it does happen, and it may happen twice–especially if you give them that sort of commitment. If the colleges find out before accepting you, you will no longer have a chance. If they find out after accepting you, they will take away their offer. it is unfair to the colleges, and the honest waitlisted students to say you will definitely attend multiple institutions. You can stay on multiple waitlists and indicate a high level of interest at these schools, but only commit to one school or you risk having no schools. Don’t think it hasn’t happened. Furthermore, if you are accepted, but don’t attend, your GC’s credibility will be completely destroyed. Maybe you aren’t thrilled that the best they could do was get you on waitlists at your top schools, maybe you couldn’t imagine having a better gc, either way, there are future students at your high school who will be affected by your dishonesty.
If it wasn’t clear before, here are some of the people you could hurt for dishonestly </p>
<p>telling multiple schools that you will attend if they accept you:
yourself–don’t think admissions officers don’t talk to those at other colleges. Don’t think that if you are lucky enough to be accepted and turn down a college that you committed to that the colleges won’t find out. you probably are also better off committing fully to one school, rather than spreading yourself too thin
the adcoms
the other waitlisted students–those who are only committing to their first choice school shouldn’t be put at a disadvantage, because you selfishly decided to have more than one first choice
your gc-their credibility is at risk here–if you commit to multiple schools, they are at fault for not telling you otherwise
future students at your hs- their success in college admissions is reliant on the credibility of your gc; will the college be able to trust any kids from your high school, under your gc, if they couldn’t trust you?</p>
<p>while it is extremely unlikely that you will be accepted to more than one school from their waitlist, it certainly is possible (especially if you are on 6 waitlists), and if definitely has happened before. Don’t be stupid.</p>
<p>would it be inappropriate to say in my letter to the school I am turning down waitlist offers at colleges X and Y because I only have eyes for college Z? I thought this would show how interested I am but I don’t want to seem like I’m knocking the other schools.</p>
<p>Okay, I don’t believe this was answered:</p>
<p>** If a school (Stanford) specifically asks you not to call/email, does that make the advice in this article invalid? **</p>
<p>^^^Yes, but they didnt say not to write a letter and mail it to them 
haha. Seriously though, if you do call/email they might assume that you dont know how to follow directions or something along those lines.</p>
<p>No. Accptd, I’m not an idiot. I’m actually exceedingly well-educated. However, I am also old enough to know that where you go to college is going to have far less effect on where you end up in life than your attititude about it and how you learn to accept the great opportunities you are offered and not yearn for something else.</p>
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<li><p>I am deeply saddened that some of these HS seniorw who have excellent acceptences to fantastic schools are still exhuasted and drained and not celebrating.</p></li>
<li><p>If it’s a fight they are ENJOYING? I say go for it.</p></li>
<li><p>At this stage in the US, an undergraduate degree is what a hs diploma used to be…exhausting all of your energy and resources in order to go to Choate or Exeter may be worth it? I don’t buy it.</p></li>
<li><p>Finally, some the absolutely MOST talented teachers in the country teach in Community Colleges. For a fact. </p></li>
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<p>The attention you will get at a prestigous university from professors or TA’s (REALLY, let’s be honest!) will not be anywhere near the level of attention you will recieve later, in grad school, the new college degree btw, from those professor’s who need your assistance.</p>
<p>If you want to go to LAw school, it doesn’t even HELP to go to these prestigious schools. They could care less where you went and will ONLY look at your GPA. GPA from 2nd tier LAC=GPA from Harvard. Not even wieghted like an AP. </p>
<p>Here’s another metaphor you’ll hate: you may not be driving in a Ferrari, which is expensive and HIGH Maintenance, but none of your are looking at Hyandai’s either. And, truly, even if it is a Huyandi? Maybe saving all that money will get you the real thing a ton faster.</p>
<p>But, most importantly, don’t overemphasize the value of ANY institution. A top level school is a top level school. A nice prom date is better than an arrogant prom date any day of the week, and a Ferrari will cost so d. much to drive and maintain you’ll wish you had a Jeep! (Trust me. I know.)</p>
<p>Good luck to you all!!!</p>
<p>Wow, you really are a poet–your reliance on comparisons is extraordinary.</p>
<p>Thanks, btw.</p>
<p>It has been great reading all the posts in the thread. got some helpful tips there. i have been waitlisted at 11 freaking colleges. its so frustrating.
now can anyone tell me if there is any chance for an international student requiring almost 100% aid to be accepted off the waitlist?</p>