How do waitlist's work? Forum

[2807]

What is the general procedure/ timeframe? And if you are WL at multiple schools how long do you wait and what do you do? Do you sometimes not hear until a few days before school starts?

Thanks for advice.

[northwood]

you are waiting for someone to be accepted and lose their seat, and others ahead of you to get into the school, or decide to go somewhere else. Basically the school is telling you that they like you, but they are not 100% sure they want you. They want to play the field a bit more before taking you in.

its the admissions equilivient of waiting in line to go to a club. Someone has to get out, and you have to be in the front of the line in order to get in before closing time.

[Grizz]

What is the general procedure/ timeframe? And if you are WL at multiple schools how long do you wait and what do you do? Do you sometimes not hear until a few days before school starts?

Thanks for advice.

Best time to possibly get off a WL is after final enrollment confirmation forms/$ are due at the schools you at WL at. This depends on the school really, as some have 2 forms.

What do you do? Generally more rec letters and letters of continued interest (LOCIs). And yes, sometimes you don't hear until a few days until school starts, or even after school has already started.

[2807]

What is the general procedure/ timeframe? And if you are WL at multiple schools how long do you wait and what do you do? Do you sometimes not hear until a few days before school starts?

Thanks for advice.

Best time to possibly get off a WL is after final enrollment confirmation forms/$ are due at the schools you at WL at. This depends on the school really, as some have 2 forms.

What do you do? Generally more rec letters and letters of continued interest (LOCIs). And yes, sometimes you don't hear until a few days until school starts, or even after school has already started.

So, if you are on a waitlist then you always wait till that school's "all-in" date for admitted students? ... then based off of that the school starts revisiting the waitlist?

If that is true, do we know when the "all-in" date is for each school? By "all-in" I mean : "deposit or confirmation to attend date"

Thanks

[Grizz]

So, if you are on a waitlist then you always wait till that school's "all-in" date for admitted students? ... then based off of that the school starts revisiting the waitlist?

Generally yeah

[quote[If that is true, do we know when the "all-in" date is for each school? By "all-in" I mean : "deposit or confirmation to attend date"

Thanks[/quote]

Call and ask

[2807]

Thank you. Wow that is a bummer, especially for out of state issues. Waiting can be a killer for housing and so forth. So I guess you can accept an admit, and then forfeit your deposit if a reach comes thru from the WL?

Thanks.

[Grizz]

So I guess you can accept an admit, and then forfeit your deposit if a reach comes thru from the WL?

That's exactly what you do.

[whymeohgodno]

That would be an amazing thing to have happen to you though. Imagine getting off a WL so late. I would be ecstatic.

[Grizz]

That would be an amazing thing to have happen to you though. Imagine getting off a WL so late. I would be ecstatic.

A friend of mine got into Columbia off the WL after school at started and did not got. She took the VERY large money from a 15-17 school. It happens.

[2807]

That would be an amazing thing to have happen to you though. Imagine getting off a WL so late. I would be ecstatic.

Huh? When do people normally get off the waitlist? What timeframe is not amazing? (normal) ?

Sorry, I am so new to this.

also: generally how many people go on the waitlist? Is it a small percentage of applicants?

I guess a WL out of state is really bad as compared to a WL nearby, as moving and so forth has to be considered. Bummer.

[Grizz]

That would be an amazing thing to have happen to you though. Imagine getting off a WL so late. I would be ecstatic.

Huh? When do people normally get off the waitlist? What timeframe is not amazing? (normal) ?

Sorry, I am so new to this.

also: generally how many people go on the waitlist? Is it a small percentage of applicants?

I guess a WL out of state is really bad as compared to a WL nearby, as moving and so forth has to be considered. Bummer.

People normally get of WL in mid to late summer.

[JJDancer]

also: generally how many people go on the waitlist? Is it a small percentage of applicants?

Different schools have different norms. Some schools have a huge waitlist but also end up pulling from it significantly (I think UCLA is like this, not sure).

Others have a large WL but accept very few people.

Others have a small WL and accept ...

You get the picture.

I think some dean interviews mention what one should do/expect if waitlisted for that school.

[whymeohgodno]

also: generally how many people go on the waitlist? Is it a small percentage of applicants?

Different schools have different norms. Some schools have a huge waitlist but also end up pulling from it significantly (I think UCLA is like this, not sure).

Others have a large WL but accept very few people.

Others have a small WL and accept ...

You get the picture.

I think some dean interviews mention what one should do/expect if waitlisted for that school.

I've heard some schools like Columbia waitlists everyone lolol

[JusticeHarlan]

I was a waitlist admit to my current school, got the good news in late June. It was certainly a rush to find good housing at a decent price, but was certainly enough time to find something I was happy with. Will probably depend on the location though (cities with plenty of apartments v. smaller college towns where undergrads snap up the good housing by the fall of the year before). Didn't have a deposit down anywhere else (had been writing off the cycle and was gonna retake and reapply), so that was not a worry. Let me know if you have any other questions.