Winning The Waitlist: Thriller's Guide + TLS Compendium
Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 1:29 am
TheThriller's Guide to Winning the Waitlist
1. TLS Waitlist Compendium
2. Background
3. Be Proactive
4. Do (Say) the Right Thing
5. Be Prepared
1. TLS Waitlist Compendium
Below are links to a few other waitlist advice threads. If you are serious about working towards an acceptance off a waitlist, check them out. These were instrumental during my cycle.
Samara's Splitter Guide
Q&A With Former Admissions Dean
*More to be added later*
2. Background
So here it goes: Admitted off WL with $$ at a T15 (arguably the hardest WL to get off of due to the school's small class size). LSAT below median and GPA well below 25% percentile. Non URM, K-JD applicant. VANILLA. Application went complete early March after Feb LSAT, WLd in early May, accepted in early June.
Seems pretty unbelievable right?
3. Be Proactive
***DISCLAIMER: What I am about to suggest is advice for those students who seriously want to be accepted off a waitlist at their top choice. Contrary to what might be taken away from this, I do not condone lying.***
If you are dead-set on attending the school at which you recently received your bitter-sweet WL, you really can't just send a LOCI to the admission's office and expect to be admitted shortly after. Although this does happen, these are mostly for a different brand of WLd applicants (yield protected candidates for example). You need to show face. Show that beautiful face of yours. This is what I did:
I) 4 days after I received my WL I went out and visited the school, met with an admissions director and emailed the individual a few days after (just like you would after an interview, as that is essentially what it was). During this email I also updated them with a new resume and transcript.
II) I then waited 2 weeks before calling another admissions director at the school (a different one) to talk a little bit about my candidacy. I set this up via email and had some basic questions to ask. I notified the individual that a formal LOCI would be in his inbox by early the next week.
III) I wrote 2 different LOCIs and had a mentor of mine look over them. HOWEVER, before I had the chance to send the better of the 2 to the school, I was accepted!
Now I know what you're thinking and I completely understand. But I obviously did something right. I do believe however, that the actions I took were only as beneficial as I made the 1 on 1 interactions to be. This flows nicely into my next section. If nothing comes after the LOCI, keep in contact with office my email or phone every 2-3 weeks up until August.
4. Do (Say) the Right Thing
Part of the WL game is that schools risk lowering their yield if they admit a student off a WL only to have them reject the offer and head elsewhere. In order to combat this, you need to STRESS that IF ADMITTED, YOU WILL ATTEND (regardless of whether or not you are 100% on that). And don't say it just once. I brought it up when I visited, when I spoke on the phone and in my LOCIs. I cannot overstate the importance of this. I mean, don't go crazy and stalk the admissions office with post-it notes everyday saying IF ADMITTED, I WILL ATTEND but you get the picture. I believe my emphasis on those 4 words what really put my file into contention for a selection off the WL.
A few other things to not say/say:
Dream School / Top Choice
Other Good Offers (if they ask you about your current plans / IMO, drop the "Good"
Talk about your WL / Talk about your candidacy
Scholarship? / Don't talk about it, if they bring it up (probably along the lines of "we only have limited cash for WLd applicants if any at all), say you understand completely to whatever they tell you and leave it at that. You are not in a position to make demands or negotiate until after your acceptance.
IF ADMITTED, I WILL ATTEND.
5. Be Prepared
When riding the waitlist there are 2 things you must prepare yourself for: the long haul, and the 2nd choice. Reality is, I got off my WL shockingly early and honestly I was expecting to be riding it up until early August. Thats just how it works. While seat-deposit deadlines are a good indication of when to expect WL movement, there is often no rhyme nor reason to how things work (other than giving yourself the best chance possible to succeed).
The other thing you must prepare yourself for is this whole WL thing to not workout. Although "significant" portions of classes are made up of former WLers, there is a far greater number of people who will never be accepted. Again, this is reality. So embrace your 2nd choice, I sure did. If you are not comfortable attending your 2nd choice, sit out and retake the LSAT or find a different career path. But really, embrace it. Find housing, visit, attend ASW/ASD. Love the school and accept it as your future for next 3 years and be cool with it's name on your degree. Again if you can't honestly do this, don't go because it probably ain't worth it.
Feel free to respond here with any more in-depth questions!
*Will be a little more "flush" when I get the time to really work on this next week*
1. TLS Waitlist Compendium
2. Background
3. Be Proactive
4. Do (Say) the Right Thing
5. Be Prepared
1. TLS Waitlist Compendium
Below are links to a few other waitlist advice threads. If you are serious about working towards an acceptance off a waitlist, check them out. These were instrumental during my cycle.
Samara's Splitter Guide
Q&A With Former Admissions Dean
*More to be added later*
2. Background
So here it goes: Admitted off WL with $$ at a T15 (arguably the hardest WL to get off of due to the school's small class size). LSAT below median and GPA well below 25% percentile. Non URM, K-JD applicant. VANILLA. Application went complete early March after Feb LSAT, WLd in early May, accepted in early June.
Seems pretty unbelievable right?
3. Be Proactive
***DISCLAIMER: What I am about to suggest is advice for those students who seriously want to be accepted off a waitlist at their top choice. Contrary to what might be taken away from this, I do not condone lying.***
If you are dead-set on attending the school at which you recently received your bitter-sweet WL, you really can't just send a LOCI to the admission's office and expect to be admitted shortly after. Although this does happen, these are mostly for a different brand of WLd applicants (yield protected candidates for example). You need to show face. Show that beautiful face of yours. This is what I did:
I) 4 days after I received my WL I went out and visited the school, met with an admissions director and emailed the individual a few days after (just like you would after an interview, as that is essentially what it was). During this email I also updated them with a new resume and transcript.
II) I then waited 2 weeks before calling another admissions director at the school (a different one) to talk a little bit about my candidacy. I set this up via email and had some basic questions to ask. I notified the individual that a formal LOCI would be in his inbox by early the next week.
III) I wrote 2 different LOCIs and had a mentor of mine look over them. HOWEVER, before I had the chance to send the better of the 2 to the school, I was accepted!
Now I know what you're thinking and I completely understand. But I obviously did something right. I do believe however, that the actions I took were only as beneficial as I made the 1 on 1 interactions to be. This flows nicely into my next section. If nothing comes after the LOCI, keep in contact with office my email or phone every 2-3 weeks up until August.
4. Do (Say) the Right Thing
Part of the WL game is that schools risk lowering their yield if they admit a student off a WL only to have them reject the offer and head elsewhere. In order to combat this, you need to STRESS that IF ADMITTED, YOU WILL ATTEND (regardless of whether or not you are 100% on that). And don't say it just once. I brought it up when I visited, when I spoke on the phone and in my LOCIs. I cannot overstate the importance of this. I mean, don't go crazy and stalk the admissions office with post-it notes everyday saying IF ADMITTED, I WILL ATTEND but you get the picture. I believe my emphasis on those 4 words what really put my file into contention for a selection off the WL.
A few other things to not say/say:
IF ADMITTED, I WILL ATTEND.
5. Be Prepared
When riding the waitlist there are 2 things you must prepare yourself for: the long haul, and the 2nd choice. Reality is, I got off my WL shockingly early and honestly I was expecting to be riding it up until early August. Thats just how it works. While seat-deposit deadlines are a good indication of when to expect WL movement, there is often no rhyme nor reason to how things work (other than giving yourself the best chance possible to succeed).
The other thing you must prepare yourself for is this whole WL thing to not workout. Although "significant" portions of classes are made up of former WLers, there is a far greater number of people who will never be accepted. Again, this is reality. So embrace your 2nd choice, I sure did. If you are not comfortable attending your 2nd choice, sit out and retake the LSAT or find a different career path. But really, embrace it. Find housing, visit, attend ASW/ASD. Love the school and accept it as your future for next 3 years and be cool with it's name on your degree. Again if you can't honestly do this, don't go because it probably ain't worth it.
Feel free to respond here with any more in-depth questions!
*Will be a little more "flush" when I get the time to really work on this next week*
