<p>Has anyone noticed, or has there been some sort of consensus on, waitlists this year?
I'm wondering, if because of the current state of things (economy etc) there has been larger than normal WL, or if i'm just a weird fluke. I've been waitlisted at all five of my top choices in a row.
Apart from it being completely demoralizing, the rational side of my brain looks at the past data and pretty much gives Up hope (0 to 40 of 500+ offered spots). But on the other hand, is this by chance not as hopeless as it looks? Could colleges be unsure about yield and could many more be taken off than in past years?</p>
<p>I know there is no way to tell for sure, but are there any thoughts/observations from people out there familiar with these things? If I take WL spots at all five schools, might I have a decent shot at ending up at one?</p>
<p>I think it depends on the school. Some schools, I’ve heard, traditionally rely on waitlists. Some colleges can rely on a steady yield (like HPYS), so it all depends. My suggestion is to call each school to find out your realistic chance. </p>
<p>Maybe I’m all wrong in saying this, but do you have to take the spot if you are offered off the WL?</p>
<p>If you want to get off the WL, you need to work at it, not to just sit back and pray. It varies year by year. My daughter got off 2 WLs 3 years ago, one of them didn’t go to their WL a year before. Her GC got every kid off their first choice WL 3 years ago. The GC called adcoms religiously. She sent in updated packet for the kids with their personal statements. We told our relative’s daughter, who was WL at 3 schools, about what our GC was doing. She also got off all 3 WL the same year. They were all top 20 schools. </p>
<p>If you are full pay your chance is much better. If you have a personal favorite and know for sure you would attend, then let them know. You do not have to attend if you are offered a spot. You have the option to decline.</p>
<p>Pandora, I send you a hug. I do not doubt that you worked hard and put together strong applications – I say that because you DID get to the waitlist level.<br>
I am wondering, also, if this is a really weird year. Several schools have published that they had more applicants than ever before. So, did the same kids who normally apply to five schools apply to twenty this year? What will that do to the system this month?
So hard to know!</p>
<p>It does seem like the common application pushes up the application numbers at all schools - even those that don’t use it. If you only have one or two different applications, but for 12 you don’t have to change a thing (in theory), is it really that difficult to apply to a ton? Plus, even with very selective schools that require a supplement, once you have a couple essays you’re happy with, you can tweak and change to fit most questions. I mean, really? How many different questions can they ask. So while I do not disagree that one has to put together a pretty impressive application to even get wait listed, I do think the numbers applying are such that schools are wise to put together a longer than necessary wait list because really? No skin off their back to have choice if they should need it.</p>
<p>It just kinda sucks that some kids get acceptances to a ton of schools while someone else seems wait listed across the board, who may not seem on paper to be all that different. In either case, you really cant take it so personally. So I only remind those that did get in to a ton of schools and are fortunate to have such choice, to remain humble during this time.</p>
<p>Yes, and to inform the schools they are certain they won’t attend as soon as possible. No need to hang out til May 1st if you’re sure you aren’t going…just for the sake of the kids on the WL. fwiw.</p>
<p>^^ But that won’t help the waitlistees because the schools won’t start accepting anyone off waitlist until after May 1. They can’t count up their matriculants until then.</p>
<p>And yes I agree that there seems to a lot of waitlisting going on. Son has only been WL at one school so far and it’s one he’s no longer much interested in, thankfully.</p>
<p>^^ I know two girls who were accepted off the wait list last year, one at Colgate, on May 2. I also know of one boy who came off the wait list a week out. So if they have good and early responses, they can get a handle on who really really would accept if offered a soot. That’s where the GC is very helpful if they have good relationships with the school.</p>
<p>My S got off a wait list at college three days after acceptances went out. May have been a mistake to wait list him; I don’t know. It was strange. He had already chosen a different school. It was particularly strange because he also got a likely letter.</p>
<p>Agree with those above who addressed the importance of “working” a waitlist. Definitely be in contact with the adm offices and ask your college counselor to assist in reaching out to their adm offices. If your college counselor has any personal relationship with any of the colleges, by all means ask them to reach out. Send any additional info you might have and emphasize your desire to attend. If money is not an issue, that may be worth mentioning as well. Good luck!!</p>
<p>Yes, definitely find a way to mention: a. “If I am admitted I will absolutely attend.” (Make sure you mean this…especially if your GC calls) b. “I don’t need money.”</p>
<p>hi nightchef: that is not an unreasonable question to ask the schools in question; it’s logical to infer that FA is used up on acceptances already out there…</p>
<p>fwiw, I do not know anyone who has been accepted off of a waitlist the last couple of years who applied for FA…</p>
<p>If you think about it, most waitlist acceptances are ones in which response is required within 24-48 hours on average; if FA has to be calculated, discussed, decided on by the student, that window is almost impossible…and most schools do not calculate FA for all applicants…these schools that waitlist want to close up shop as soon as possible; they will go to the non-FA kids first imo…</p>
<p>Fortunately I don’t need any FA, but is there any…tactful way to tell colleges that? That wouldn’t come off as obnoxious?</p>
<p>I’ve got another question, though, if anyone has advice for this.</p>
<p>If (and thats a pretty big if) I manage to get off the waitlist at this one school, from what I understand, you pretty much have only a day to decide - not enough time to take a visit. </p>
<p>I never actually had the chance to visit this school. Back in the fall, my parents decided it was too out of the way, and that if I ended up getting accepted then we would visit. But now that I got waitlisted…since campus and “feel” have always been such an important thing to me in this process, it seems like it would be reckless to commit to a school I’ve never seen in person even if it sounds great on paper. But I don’t know if I could convince my parents to let me visit if I’m just waitlisted, since I may never get in!</p>
<p>I am not sure there are statistics to prove this… But, it is my opinion that students are applying to more colleges then before. Most of my sons friends applied to 10-15 or more colleges. In looking at the admissions stats of the schools my son applied to everyone of them have had their stats jump quite a bit this year, average SAT jumped by 100+ points at most and ACT jumped by 2-3 points at most. </p>
<p>If this is true, that also means that every school will get more admit/denies then ever before. And to handle that, they will need to admit more from the waitlist then ever before.</p>
<p>Pandora: your reasoning is EXACTLY why my daughter declined her two waitlists two years ago; she had visited both schools once, but wanted to be sure…and she knew that each of these particular schools wanted a decision within 24-48 hours…not enough time to visit and decide…</p>
<p>Somehow I would let the school know that FA is not needed (lucky you!). If there is a real interest in this school, why not do a “last hurrah” family trip to celebrate the end of your high school career. Make it a happy excursion to this college and let one of your parents drop a word in the admissions officer’s ear that FA is not a concern (keeps it from being embarrassing for you.). </p>
<p>It is expensive – and it’s not worth doing unless you really think this is the school for you. But if it was also a great family excursion then you all could have fond memories of your time together whether or not the wait list stuff panned out. </p>
<p>Please talk about this with your parents. They may nix the idea but I promise that they will be charmed by the idea of the three of you doing something together. If the college hunt trip doesn’t pan out, maybe the three of you could make a point of doing something else as a “end of college search” celebration.</p>