<p>How did you convince the admissions office to take you off the waitlist? What did you do to get off the waitlist?</p>
<p>I have NO idea if any of this helped, but one of our kids wrote the Head of School a handwritten note thanking him for the oppotunity to apply and stating that he was grateful to still be in the running with being waitlisted. He also stated that if he were lucky enough to get in, he would absolutely come (not waivering…this was his first choice school). Finally, he stated something along the lines of understanding that the school was filled with very bright and talented kid, as was the applicant pool. He’d feel happy to be among them and also would work hard to bring to the school his own gifts (music, sociable with all types of kids, strong work ethic).
This child wrote this totally without any recommendation from us. He showed his dad…then dropped it in the mail. My husband was suprised when he read it, as he did not beg, but made it clear he wanted to be there. He did not say how great he was, but did point to gifts he had that might not shine as brightly as academics and sports, but were gifts no less.</p>
<p>About 2 weeks later he received a personal call from admissions with an oral offer, followed shortly by a package in the mail. Have NO idea if his little note made a difference. But it was HIS note (my husband noticed a couple of errors in writing and the writing was a bit messy, but he said nothing but ‘good for you for advocating for yourself and being honest’). My guess is, if nothing else, they may have sensed that he was running the ship, not us. We never contacted the office at all.
OR…the note may have had nothing to do with it. We will never know.
T
p.s. Had the note not ‘worked’ I would still be THRILLED that he did it on his own. I never really worry about this one of our kids being able to handle himself. He is thriving at the school.</p>
<p>Was this before april 10th?</p>
<p>careful. For every person who posts there are a thousand people who lurk. And will take this as gospel and send letters to headmasters (or do whatever else someone suggested was a key). Strategic advantages are just that - strategic advantages. They work once or twice for specfic people but become cliche and annoying when multiplied. </p>
<p>Take it for what it’s worth.</p>
<p>ExieMITAlum…Point taken and a good one at that. It was our story and folks can do as they please with this. Not only do people lurk…SCHOOLS LURK. The same type of letter now would clearly not be as well received if it came on the heels of this post (as it would clearly seem contrived strategy, not sincerity) and with similar letters hitting the school doors! </p>
<p>I shared as I think that there as ways to some degree folks can read between the lines and figure out the difference between sincere one time actions of a student advocating for himself…and bombarding admissions offices and parents calling weekly for updates because THEY want the admissions offer. It is a fine line.</p>
<p>I am also learning (and sharing here) that it is better sometimes for parents to not do SO much for their kids…when you don’t you might be suprised at what they do on their own AND be suprised how important (or unimportant) something is to them.
This same kid is up for an important opportunity this summer. I have seen him do little other than turn in basic info. at the deadline. I get the feeling that he would take it or leave it. The whole ‘school thing’ has helped us learn a lot about our kids and ourselves.
T</p>
<p>Wow, the kid wrote a note and he got in! Hence: writing a note will get you in.</p>
<p>Not true. If any of you kids doubt this, look up the difference between “coincidence,” “correlation” and “cause and effect.”</p>
<p>It’s great that taben’s kid took it on himself to write a note. That’s wonderful, and shows initiative. And 99 out of 100 kids who do it are still not going to get off the waitlist. It’s also entirely possible that taben’s kid would have gotten off the waitlist anyway, even without the note.</p>
<p>justgolf - You have 5 posts, and each one of them has asked the same question. And, up until now, no one has responded. Why? Because there is no answer. There’s no trick, technique or magic formula that will get you off the waitlist. And you most certainly can’t “convince” an admissions office to take you off the waitlist. If the school ends up having an opening, and decides (based on the application materials you’ve already submitted) that you’re a perfect fit for that spot, they’ll call you. The odds are against you. You can’t “convince” the school to have an opening, and you also can’t “convince” the school that you’re a perfect fit for an opening should one become available. The school already knows who you are, and if they just had a downhill ski racer drop out, and you play golf, you are not going to be the kid they pull from the waitlist. Period. And there’s nothing you can do about that.</p>
<p>Dodgersmom you wrote in part:
“It’s great that taben’s kid took it on himself to write a note. That’s wonderful, and shows initiative. And 99 out of 100 kids who do it are still not going to get off the waitlist. It’s also entirely possible that taben’s kid would have gotten off the waitlist anyway, even without the note.”</p>
<p>The above is correct and I never stated that writing the note was a deciding factor, a factor at all or a non factor. It was more the lesson we and he learned from the process. My post may have implied something to you that indicated too much hopefulness. So, the reality of waitlist in your post may be helpful to some.</p>
<p>To JustGolf…Being waitlisted means, in the BEST of light, that they would like to have you there but just do not have room. Once space opens up, who knows how they choose. One thing I think Dodgermom and I would agree on, is to have a plan B. </p>
<p>Being waitlisted, in life in general, can cause a lot of anxiety so I understand your numerous post. Be proud that you are waitlisted…many don’t get that far…and ask questions here. That is what the boards are for (even if the answer is, like from Dodgersmom, there is no answer). Please take from my story that, to ME, doing something is better than doing nothing and having hope is not a bad thing.</p>
<p>T</p>
<p>thanks dodgersmom for the feedback</p>
<p>justgolf - write admissions office a short note saying they are your first choice and you’re fully committed to attending. Then add your latest grade report if it’s good. Then wait until after the April 10 commit dates to follow up with an email.</p>
<p>That’s the best you can do. Beyond that - the standard practice is if a student turns them down, they look for students with similar attributes to fill the hole (hence my ubiquitous “Tuba” references on the discussion boards.")</p>
<p>Stay in touch - but don’t pester them.</p>
<p>Just dropping by to nominate dodgersmom for MVP of these “I want what I want, not what I got” threads. Hats off to you and to Exie for your patience, graciousness, and much needed dose of reality. </p>
<p>(and a nod to taben’s story for pointing out that Headmasters get swamped with personal pleading notes at about this time of year, so it’s not a path to acceptance.)</p>
<p>Someone in another thread said he/she knew a friend who got off the Hotchkiss waitlist immediately after winning a major Math competition. Can you achieve a significant accomplishment between now and late April?</p>
<p>@Exie What do you think would be an appropriate way to mention my latest report card in the letter? Like if it’s straight A’s, do I just say “Attached are my latest grades…” or explain that I worked even harder this quarter to get these grades (I had 1-3 B’s on past few report cards) ?</p>
<p>@justgolf: I may/may not be the person MBVLoveless is referring to…I had a friend who got off the Hotchkiss waitlist after getting a super awesome score on the AMC 10 and then qualifying for the AIME. However, it was a full-pay applicant who was also a very strong athlete. </p>
<p>@bsroxmysox: You could combine those two and say that you improved and let them see. 
In my humble opinion.</p>
<p>bsroxmysox - Keep it simple. Saying “Attached are my latest grades…” is just fine.</p>
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<p>I would agree wholeheartedly. It shows you are still interested. Sometimes a polite but squeaky wheel gets the attention. :)</p>
<p>@GoldenRatio @ExieMITAlum Thanks for the advice, and thanks for giving me advice so quickly! I will definitely take it and let everyone on here know how it goes come March 22nd :)</p>
<p>@bsroxmysox: Haha, you better! 
Good luck!</p>
<p>I spoke to a few admissions officers at my current school (Andover) and the one thing they’ve all said is that waitlisted kids come off as pushy sometimes. This is all unofficial advice from them, but you really want to be minimalist – in your correspondence, confirm your continued interest, and thank them for their time. That’s it. To quote a recent speaker at PA, follow the 5 B’s: “Be brief, brother, be brief.”</p>
<p>Hope this helps and wish everyone the best of luck!</p>
<p>@ralms2010 @GoldenRatio I was thinking about that (what ralms2010 said) as I was checking my grades online. I think the idea in my head was to improve my grades to show the school that WL’ed me how serious I am, but I’m afraid it’ll come off as pushy. But I also have to keep in mind that it’s a hidden gem school, so they probably don’t get too many appeal letters from their waitlisted students.</p>
<p>@bsroxmysox: Hmm…it’ll be a fine, fine, line, then. I suppose you should be very polite in your correspondence, so you won’t come off as pushy and demanding. Also, don’t e-mail them when you’re in a bitter mood; or else, your phrasing will reflect that. Try to be as concise as possible; I heard that admission offices don’t like long and superfluous letters.</p>