What to do when you're WAIT LISTED. . .

College Majors Musical Theater Major
1

<p>There are threads for ACCEPTS and there are threads for REJECTIONS, so shouldn't there be a thread for WAIT LISTS?</p>

<p>My S has a great place to go, and it was an early admit at a school with rolling admissions, so that was a good thing. However, he has been waiting for months to hear from his other schools, some which are his top choice schools. It has been quite a roller-coaster ride, with postive verbal or written (!) feedback from the schools on his audition performance on one day, and, rejection letters the next day.</p>

<p>Finally, all the letters have come in, and he finds himself on 3 wait lists! What now????? When should he commit to the school that accepted him? Should he visit the schools where he has been wait listed? He's in the process of contacting the programs where he has been wait listed to determine the "odds" of getting in, and then to determine whether he wants to remain on the wait lists. How long might the wait go on? How will we get through it? All of his friends will know where they are going. . .</p>

<p>Any thoughts?</p>

2

<p>I think you just wait until May 1st and hope he comes off the wait list. You also may want to call the school he is accepted to just before the deadline and ask for an extension. If they say no to the extension I suppose you could accept May 1st and if a spot opens up soon after reascend your acceptance. I'm not saying I'd do this or condoning it but it is an option. I assume this happens a lot and I doubt they'd would spend the money taking you to court if this is even illegal.</p>

3

<p>letsfigureitout,</p>

<p>It's nice that your S already has a place to go... Since he doesn't need to make a commitment for that spot until May 1, simply wait and pray about the other schools. It also wouldn't hurt to contact the schools that he is waitlisted from.</p>

<p>Last year, I didn't get off the BW wait list until late April (i think April 23)...But I kept in contact with them and I think that helped.</p>

<p>BEst of luck, try to stay positive!! Everything happens for a reason.</p>

<p>Kyle</p>

4

<p>I am sorry but this is not how it works as described in post #2. Rather, the student MUST accept an offer of admisssion at a school to which he is accepted by May 1 and this usually involves putting down a deposit. If a student gets off the wait list after May 1 or over the summer at a preferred school, there is NOTHING illegal about taking the offer and in fact, it is EXPECTED that colleges will lose some enrolled freshmen due to their getting off waitlists over the late spring and early summer at their preferred schools. In fact, the term for this is SUMMER MELT. There are NO repercussions for backing out of the school you enrolled at prior to May 1, except that you will forfeit your deposit. This is totally allowed and again, the expected and normal procedure. In fact, the procedure that MTDad777 suggests is NOT the way to go about it. You should NOT ask for an extension to send back your intent to enroll at your admitted school by May 1 while you wait to hear from wait listed schools (perhaps he is confused from other posts where an extension UP UNTIL MAY 1 should be requested at schools who unseemingly pressure you to reply before May 1 which is against the standard college policies nationally). </p>

<p>But to answer some of the questions posed by letsfigureitout....</p>

<p>I want to publicly congratulate your son on his accceptances to date, as well as for making the wait list at some very selective programs which is a feat in itself. What your son needs to do is to commit to a school to which he is accepted by the National Reply Date of May 1 and put down a deposit. If there are schools where he wishes to remain on the wait list, he should let them know that. Then, he should write them a letter expressing very specific interest in the school and why he wants to go there. If it is his number one choice, he should say so (but not lie if it is not) and if he is certain he would enroll if accepted, he should express that as well, because if they need to go to the wait list, they would be more interested in someone who they felt is truly going to come. If he is not certain he would attend, he shouldn't say it in that same way but express continued strong interest in attending (as opposed to saying "I will attend"). He should update them of any significant activities and achievements since he applied. If possible, he should get one of his artistic rec writers (or a brand new one) who is willing to advocate on his behalf and write the program about your son and why he wants to go there, or call on his behalf. </p>

<p>Once your son does those things, he needs to let go of the wait list schools psychologically and move on to the school to which he has put in his intent to enroll by May 1. He needs to embrace that school as that is where he is likely to attend. If a preferred school's wait list comes through, hooray and you will deal with it at that time and he can go and then let his enrolled school know and then his slot will open up at that school for someone over the summer on their wait list. </p>

<p>A school may not be able to tell you the odds of getting off the wait list. What they may be able to tell you is how many are on it. They may be willing to tell you how many per year they took off the wait list over a five year period and you can examine the trend but realize it varies a lot from year to year. Often a wait list is not numbered and so if a slot opens in the class, they will look to fill it from someone on the wait list who would fill that sort of slot in the group. </p>

<p>You ask how you will get through it as others know where they are going. In my view.....your son ALSO will know by May 1 where he is going...whichever school on his list of ACCEPTED schools he picks. That IS where he is going and how he needs to view it and also tell everyone he is going. Again, he should do those things I suggested with the wait listed schools but once he does, he needs to move on. If some surprise happens later, embrace it, but for now, do not expect it. Do not carry on as if he doesn't know where he is going. He must choose among those schools that took him and then carry on. If something changes down the line, it does. But he should proceed as if it will not (once he does put in the things I suggested to the preferred wait listed schools). He should not treat this as if his admissions process is still going on. By May 1, for all intents and purposes, it will have ended and if something happens to change that, great. Move forward with what he DOES have in hand.</p>

5

<p>Thank you Soozie! Your support through this has been quite helpful, and I hope that your response to my initial post on this thread will be appreciated by others in a similar position.</p>

<p>I'm sure many students DO get into their preferred program from a WAIT LIST. Thank you, kyle style, for sharing your situation last year. May I ask how you kept in contact with the school at which you were wait listed? To whom did you direct your communication? Did you simply inquire about your status, or did you also present new information?</p>

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<p>letsfigureitout - congratulations on your S's successes, and also on being on the waitlist at such prestigious schools which is huge!</p>

<p>I do understand however that it must be pretty tough at the same, and have to decide sending in deposits and playing the waiting game at the same time.</p>

<p>Over the past few years that I have read CC, I have seen many people suggest to keep in touch with the head of the department you auditioned for as they are likely to have the biggest say in who they want to add from their waitlist, even if in some cases, programs go to the waitlist on a "by type basis", meaning if someone like your S. declines their offer, they will contact your S. Either way, I think it would be really good, as Soozie also suggests, for your S to send them a follow up with why he feels he would be a good addition to the program. He may have written an essay about that already, as part of his application, or, referred to it in a thank you note, but it certainly would not hurt to let a school know again that you really want to attend, and simply expand on your reasons why. Also, enclosing an updated resume (if applicable) is another way of updating a school that he has continued to be active (either performing, or attending master classes etc.), even while auditioning. He could even refer to that briefly in his cover letter.</p>

<p>In regard to how to keep in touch, I actually think most people really like email these days, because they can check it at their leisure, but I guess this would vary person by person and hopefully your S will have a feel whether they are "old school" or not.</p>

<p>Hope this helps a bit.</p>

7

<p>Thanks, MTgrlsmom. My son is contacting his WAIT LIST schools today and tomorrow, sending letters, and so forth. Then, he's going to focus on where he GOT IN! He's feeling pretty good about his options!</p>

<p>Good luck to everyone else who's still waiting!</p>

8

<p>Thanks soozievt for your very clear explanation of the waitlist process -- and thanks letsfigure for starting this thread.</p>

<p>My D (who also posts on CC, as "thoroughlymodern") is waiting to hear from one last school before we add her results to the acceptances threads. She already has some great choices -- and is waitlisted for two other programs, including one of her top schools. Being on the wait list has a different psychological impact than either an acceptance or a rejection. On the one hand it's flattering that she came so close, in very selective programs -- on the other hand it makes me feel a bit crazed since I was looking forward to this process being completely OVER by May 1!</p>

<p>Good luck everyone -- waiting is excrutiating!</p>

9

<p>BrownEyesMom....I understand that the wait list is not full closure. But once your D puts in the efforts with the wait list school (if indeed she still is interested in it), she then needs to let it go psychologically and proceed as if her process has ended and enroll in a school by May 1. If anything comes through later, then it does. Try to move past it on May 1 as if the process is over and she is going to the school she has selected. The odds are great that that will be that but there is a chance of getting off a wait list but it is best to move ahead in your mind as if that isn't happening (again, after putting in efforts with the wait list school in the coming weeks).</p>

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<p>I totally agree with the need to make a decision and move on, but I also know that my D won't completely let go of that particular dream unless/until she gets a definite NO. (After all, she's already come a long way on hopes and dreams!) And as a parent I have to be prepared to support her no matter what happens -- which means that I'll remain in somewhat of a state of suspense as well. However, I appreciate your practical advice, and plan to make every effort to concentrate on realities rather than mere possibilities!</p>

11

<p>My recommendation for those wait listed - Look at your current list of accepted schools. Pick one of them and put in a deposit ASAP!!! These are usually refundable up until 5/1. It's very important for housing choice priority to get in the deposits to a place your child is accepted!!! The wait list may not come through. You need backup plans, and you want your child to have the best housing option possible.</p>

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<p>Look at the process at each school. Definitely need to put in a deposit by May 1 but it is only SOME schools where the housing thing is on this first come basis and this early. At many colleges, including the ones my children attend and many to which they applied, it makes NO difference when you put in the deposit, as long as you put it in by May 1. Housing has NO preference based on deposits or dates. The housing thing is equal for all who have replied by May 1. But as Ericsmom says, at SOME schools (I gather Elon is one of them), housing spots are allocated on a rolling basis and so her advice is spot on. I just want to point out that that is NOT the case at ALL schools. Look into it at the schools on your list. Many schools do not deal with housing at all until over the summer or at least until after May 1 and everyone is on an equal footing no matter when they sent the deposit. Others do it as Ericsmom mentions.</p>

13

<p>My S has a funny situation. He just found out he was waitlisted at a school where he never finished the application process. He submitted the Common App because the school had a relatively early deadline. Later he decided not to pursue the process. I don't know if this is a clerical error or if the school still would accept his missing materials at this late date. Anyone ever heard of this?</p>

14

<p>I think it has happened before, at those schools at which the DRAMA division operates pretty much independently from the rest of the school. In the case I know about, the Admissions Office accepted the other materials way past the deadline for receiving them. Does your son want to attend this school?</p>

15

<p>lets figure</p>

<p>I called the school and am still confused about the waitlist. The reason I thought it might be worth pursuing is that circumstances changed and this school could be a very good fit for him. The waitlist letter said additional materials could be sent, however the admissions rep I talked to said they could not be. My S has a couple of acceptances, a couple of schools he is waiting to hear from and one school where he is waitlisted. The reason I think this is so funny is that we treated the other waitlist situation as an accomplishment. Now he is waitlisted at a competitive school with only a partial application. Go figure. Just one more piece of evidence that the process is not always logical.</p>

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<p>I notice the thread that has a list of acceptances has quite a few "waitlisted" entries. Would anyone be willing to start a thread that tracks those that successfully come off of a waitlist?</p>

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<p>Soozie made many good points but I've never heard the phrase "summer melt" before - but its perfect. FWIW - my nephew was accepted off a waitlist well after May 1 once deposits rolled in......and a student at our school was accepted off a waitlist in August. It happens. Colleges want to fill up and like the desert sands.......things shift. In fact, I've known several students to get in during the summer....however financial aid was mininal to none in each case.</p>

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<p>myheadismt - I think it would be great to track acceptances that come off of a waitlist, but as khsstitches also points out, some of these type of acceptances come really "late" during the summer, and at that point most people are "CC-ed" out, so it's really hard to keep semi accurate figures.</p>

19

<p>So, now we're in the process of letting all the schools know what's up, including making a commitment to one school to which my S is accepted. However, the form is clear: by accepting an offer of admission, you are agreeing that AFTER MAY 1ST, you will NOT consider any other offer of admission from another college for the next academic year.</p>

20

<p>Well, you cannot accept two offers, that's true. But what you CAN do is to accept an offer off of a wait list and then forfeit your deposit after May 1 at the ONE school you were permitted to enroll at by May 1. So, you should not be allowed to enroll at multiple schools right now (May 1 and after), but you can give up a school if offered a wait list at another school. This is how it works.</p>

<p>Further, colleges know that wait list movement doesn't occur until after May 1. So, if a student gets off a wait list, they then give up their slot at their enrolled school and lose the deposit. THAT school now can make an offer off of ITS wait list. This is called summer melt. It happens. You don't have to attend a school you have put down a deposit at but you will lose your deposit. The only thing you can't do and it is also unethical to do, is to put down deposits at multiple schools on May 1.</p>

<p>If your son enrolls at X college and gets off the wait list at Y college..... X college cannot force him to attend. It can keep your deposit however. Your son could even enroll at X college and decide he doesn't want to go to college over the summer and doesn't have to go but again, would lose his (your!) deposit.</p>