<p>I have applied to three schools - two local ones and one boarding. The boarding school was my dream school and I have looked forward to it. I have been accepted at my "safety net" school with Honors and a Scholarship Award. Harvard Westlake, my second choice, was a "waitlist" response. So was the boarding school (Choate Rosemary Hall). My plan was to enroll into my "safety net" school for now, and then wait to get off the waiting list. I am totally bummed out since my ISEE scores had high stanines (7, 8, 9, 9) and I am pretty active in the community. One con is that I need financial aid. </p>
<p>Does getting waitlisted basically mean rejection? Do schools even look at waitlists? What is the possibility of getting off the waitlist? Any advice? Thank you so much! </p>
<p>In case you haven’t figured it out, a waitlist is not at all a rejection. A waitlist means that you are probably extremely well-qualified in the AOs’ eyes but that there were other students that fit maybe a little better. Most schools place a lot of emphasis on the qualities you need to get onto a waitlist, so do not feel bad. Most schools are good with expecting their yield and may only choose a handful of kids off the waitlist, if any. What you should do now is enroll in your safety net school because you may not hear from Choate until August or early September. Then email Choate thanking them for considering you, saying how much you loved the school and would appreciate a chance to attend, and telling them your plans to remain on the waitlist. Over the next few months, continue updating your file with any prizes or awards and keep in touch maybe once a month or so with an AO. That’s all you can do. Keep in mind that FA waitlist and waitlist are also different, so you may have lower chances of being granted a spot if you are on normal waitlist- they have accepted kids waiting for FA besides both FA and FP kids on regular waitlist. Good luck and I wish you all the best!</p>
<p>The waitlist is not a rejection, but the chances of getting off the waitlist are very slim. Enroll in your “safety net” school, and hope for the best. If you don’t get off the waitlist, try not to be too bummed about it and remember there’s always next year to apply again to your dream school.</p>