<p>here is a compilation of Lehigh’s figures from the thread above:</p>
<p>Lehigh University </p>
<hr>
<p>Link to Common Data Sets Common Data Set</p>
<p>Fall 2009
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list…3226
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …1160
Number of wait-listed students admitted …43
Percent of Wait List Admitted 3.7%
Total Class Size…1193
Percent of Class from Wait List 3.6%</p>
<p>Fall 2008
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list…3154
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …1388
Number of wait-listed students admitted …7
Percent of Wait List Admitted 0.5%
Total Class Size…1205
Percent of Class from Wait List 0.6%</p>
<p>Fall 2007
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list… 2716
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …1096
Number of wait-listed students admitted …72
Percent of Wait List Admitted 6.6%
Total Class Size…1166
Percent of Class from Wait List 6.1%</p>
<p>Fall 2006
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list…1942
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …807
Number of wait-listed students admitted …2
Percent of Wait List Admitted 0.2%
Total Class Size…1217
Percent of Class from Wait List 0.16%</p>
<p>and here is Bucknell, a peer to Lehigh, but about 20% smaller in enrollment:</p>
<p>Bucknell University </p>
<hr>
<p>Link to Common Data Set Bucknell Common Data Set || Bucknell University</p>
<p>Fall 2008
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list… 2521
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …875
Number of wait-listed students admitted …9
Percent of Wait List Admitted 1.0%
Total Class Size…957
Percent of Class from Wait List 0.9%</p>
<p>Fall 2007
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list… 2186
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …1046
Number of wait-listed students admitted …14
Percent of Wait List Admitted 1.3%
Total Class Size…887
Percent of Class from Wait List 1.6%</p>
<p>Fall 2006
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list…2057
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …724
Number of wait-listed students admitted …41
Percent of Wait List Admitted 5.7%
Total Class Size…923
Percent of Class from Wait List 4.4% </p>
<p>Fall 2005
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list… 2375
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …860
Number of wait-listed students admitted …101
Percent of Wait List Admitted 11.7%
Total Class Size…923
Percent of Class from Wait List 10.9%</p>
<p>Fall 2004
Number of qualified applicants offered a place on waiting list… 1862
Number accepting a place on the waiting list …652
Number of wait-listed students admitted …69
Percent of Wait List Admitted 10.6%
Total Class Size…907
Percent of Class from Wait List 7.6%</p>
<p>About 1/3 of students put on waiting lists at the two schools above accepted to go on the waiting list - and not surprisingly, this figure was higher for the higher ranked schools such as Princeton, with 70% of the students choosing to stay on the waiting list in the fall 2009 freshman.</p>
<p>This data illustrates how accurately the schools have been at estimating their yields. I still want to see what happens this year. I just think the record low rates of admission were a safety measure and students who are on wait lists this year will be more likely to catch a break.</p>
<p>HYPSM will have the same yields as they have had the last few years…</p>
<p>The next 10 or so ranked colleges will have a slightly lower lever of yields.</p>
<p>After this, it will be the wild wild west, with many schools dropping in yield significantly and others having similar yields to the past, while a couple increading in yield.</p>
<p>With some students getting into as many as six waitlists, this should provide a banner year for the waitlist students to get accepted into some of their favorite schools. </p>
<p>In the meantime, you will see the an increase in heart attacks for the parents of waitlisted students as friends’ kids will be getting off the waitlists left and right around them - adding to their anxiety levels duirng the next 2 months.</p>
<p>I agree that the comments are harsh, but, yeah, pretty right on. I think people are a little overwrought with the comments about the “cruelty” of it all, but that really is a huge WL. Someone isn’t earning their money if their yield predictions are so far off that they have to put almost 3,400 kids on the WL.</p>
<p>Ironically, Duke was the WL I was most interested in pursuing…unfortunately I don’t fit that “lopsided” mold they’re looking for - no oboe here - so I can’t imagine I would be chosen to replace someone. I wonder why they put me on the WL at all?</p>
<p>I must say, this does make sense. So a waitlister that was at the top of the list of potential acceptances, could be last on the waitlist if his major or background group over-enrolled…It does make sense…</p>
<p>finally, someone admits what the purpose of the waitlist is really for…great comments, btw, JohnAdams…you could be at the “top” of the waitlist pool in terms of stats, but if you are from an over-represented group…not happening…</p>
<p>Here it is only April 14th and we just had our first WL call. Small southern LAC calling about a WL student - feeling out if she is really interested and how her spring grades are so far. Interesting early indication of possible WL activity. And this is why I urge people to send back their “no thanks” responses to colleges asap.</p>
<p>That is why you need to do more than just send back the post card of saying you want to stay on the WL. If you show a lot of love now, it’s more likely you will be on top of the list, even if you don’t have the most outstanding stats. Adcoms want to get an answer fast, they don’t want to go through that 1000 applicants pile again.</p>
<p>I agree with Rockvillemom… The college my son is waitlisted at said the sooner they received info back the sooner they would process the waitlist. Their goal is to process in late April, hoping they have enough information to do so. So at least SOME colleges want to expedite this process and not make students wait 2 months or to the 2nd week of may.</p>
<p>Here is one of the remarks to the original article</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I really agree with this. The student has already submitted an application, their parents have paid the application fee, the student has written the essays. Maybe they’ve interviewed with an alumni, maybe they’ve visited the college at considerable expense to their parents. What more do the schools need to know? In my opinion any school has a lot of nerve saying we still aren’t sure if you really want to go here, tell us again, and we still probably won’t admit you.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Well, whose fault is that? If they would just do their job in the first place and really give some consideration to the size of the wait list and whose on it then it wouldn’t be such an arduous task to go through it again.</p>
<p>These huge wait lists are just sloppiness on the part of the schools. It’s easier for them to have huge wait lists than really give some consideration to them and then they cloak what they’ve done under the guise of they want to give the more competitive students a compliment. Oh please. Huge wait lists benefit the schools because then that they can cherry pick the few students they will admit from them. How about giving a little consideration to the applicants and giving them their answer sooner rather than later so they can move on?</p>
<p>I’m glad the schools are getting a lot of bad press for this right now. Maybe that will push them into rethinking their position.</p>
<p>Here’s one piece of the problem. Every year, we have students apply to schools that they are clearly not qualified for and will almost certainly not get into. But, we can’t tell them that they cannot apply. Even when we have a meeting with the student and their parents and try to gently suggest that their list is top-heavy, that they have far too many reaches and not enough safety schools, we get resistance. We have had angry parents yelling at us that we are crushing their children’s dreams. We have students crying that they have dreamed of attending Duke, or wherever their entire life. So, we try to inject realism into the process, but it is hard. So, in my opinion, colleges are getting a fair number of ridiculous applications. I realize they probably reject these prety quickly, but I think it still gums up the works. Plus, it contributes to these ridiculous application numbers. Again, these kids are not getting WL - these are flat out rejections, but they still create extra work for everyone involved for absolutely no purpose.</p>
<p>Who cares whose fault it is? It is what it is. If you want to get off the WL, then you need to position yourself. The college process is what it is now. One could spend the time to be angry and say it is not right, or one could figure out how it works and use it to one’s advantage. I only try to do what I can in order to get what I want. I won’t expand my energy trying to change things I can’t influence.</p>
<p>If an applicant has already written an essay about “Why I want to go to/ would be a good fit at School XYZ,” then that applicant should not be made to repeat the same in the supplementary letter. The only purpose I can see for such a letter is if there are new activities or honors that the applicant wants to write about. Also, what if the applicant is waitlisted at, let’s say, 3 schools and would be happy to attend any of those 3. She can only write “You are my first choice” for one of the 3. So when the committee sees that she hasn’t written it for the other schools, then they may reject her for a waitlist opening, even though she would be thrilled to attend the other schools and probably won’t get into the first choice anyway.</p>