URM Waitlists Forum

[Justathought]

I have a question regarding urm candidates on waitlists. I'm on a number of waitlists where my stats are not particularly competitive; I was wondering if its commonplace for a urm candidate below both medians to be pulled from a wait list, or if its just more of a safeguard for schools? To me, it seems like some schools wait list just about every urm applicant, just to be safe in case of a diversity crisis.

I've had a good cycle thus far, but my ancient/horrid GPA has held me back from top schools, as expected. My stats are 2.4/164. Waiting at GW, IU-B, Iowa, W&M, Loyola-LA, and Cardozo. Not really too concerned, since I'm very happy with Temple, but I'd just like to hear some thoughts on what to expect in the coming months.

Also, feel free to let this thread serve as the home for urm wait list discussion. Let us know how your doing with your wait lists.

[bk1]

URMs consistently get accepted with numbers that are below both medians. They do tend to waitlist URMs with bad numbers more than others since the non-URMs get autorejected so I don't think you should necessarily see it as a bad thing that URMs get more waitlists since they probably get less rejections.

But you have a 2.4 and that is really what is killing you (while being a URM is saving you from getting autorejected). To be honest I doubt you'll get off the waitlists at any of those schools due to your numbers.

[Justathought]

URMs consistently get accepted with numbers that are below both medians. They do tend to waitlist URMs with bad numbers more than others since the non-URMs get autorejected so I don't think you should necessarily see it as a bad thing that URMs get more waitlists since they probably get less rejections.

But you have a 2.4 and that is really what is killing you (while being a URM is saving you from getting autorejected). To be honest I doubt you'll get off the waitlists at any of those schools due to your numbers.

I completely agree, bk.

[bk1]

Just wanted to add that waitlist, for most people, is a soft-rejection since most schools don't pull more than a tiny fraction of the people off the waitlist.

[Justathought]

That's the way I look at it too, but its a pain in the neck, because I'm trying to get an early start on living arrangements for next year. I worry that, in some cruel twist of fate, as soon as I sign my lease some school will pull me off the wait list. Just hope its not GW, because that would be the one school I would probably take over Temple, at this point.