<p>Does "getting off the waitlist" for a college mean that they already have all their spots filled with accepted students but after students send back their answers, for all of those who dont enroll (i.e. choose another college), these extra spots available are given to waitlisted applicants?
And if so, if by the time the college knows which students won't go, and then accepts students off the waitlist for remaining spots, haven't the students who are/were on the waitlist already enrolled in another college they were accepted to by that time?</p>
<p>Colleges always accept more students than they have spots for because they know not all will matriculate. However, they don’t want to over enroll, so they use the WL to fill the open seats left after the response deadline. </p>
<p>Yes, most students have committed and may lose their enrollment deposit if they accept a spot off the WL of another school.</p>
<p>You can find WL data on a school’s Common Data Set; some schools give data for the number accepting to stay on the WL and the number accepted off the WL, others only give then number accepted from the WL.</p>
<p>From this year’s results, it appears that colleges are relying on WLs more than ever to manage their enrollment.</p>
<p>Paying a deposit = guaranteeing a seat.</p>
<p>Not going to that school = losing the deposit.</p>
<p>Getting off the waitlist = not going to that school = losing the deposit.</p>
<p>elnamo, yes, you are correct.</p>
<p>My older D applied to several schools. Admitted to some, rejected by some, waitlisted by two. She was offered the option to indicate she was interested in staying on the waitlist. She didn’t have to be on the waitlist - she could be done and stop considering those two schools.</p>
<p>She decided to stay on the waitlist for one of the schools, which was her first choice. </p>
<p>In the meantime, she selected one of the schools where she had been admitted, and began making plans for the fall. She applied for housing, sent in a deposit, attended an orientation, and registered for her fall classes.</p>
<p>For her first choice waitlist school, she also sent in additional materials - awards she had won since she had applied, her final transcript, etc. She included a letter stating it was still her first choice, and if admitted off the waitlist, she would enroll.</p>
<p>In early June on a Monday, she was called by her waitlist school, offering her a place in their incoming freshmen class. She was given until Thursday to accept or reject the offer.</p>
<p>She accepted the offer, sent in a deposit to this school, and then contacted the first school to tell them she would no longer be attending. She forfeited her deposit at the first school.</p>
<p>She is currently finishing her third year at the school where she was originally waitlisted and is very happy there.</p>
<p>Some insight on college waitlist:</p>
<p>Colleges’ Tough Waiting Game
Schools Keep Hundreds of Applicants on Reserve Lists, but Very Few of Them Get In
[College</a> Waitlists Offer Little Hope - WSJ.com](<a href=“College Waitlists Offer Little Hope - WSJ”>College Waitlists Offer Little Hope - WSJ)</p>