Visiting while waitlisted Forum

[WongWray]

I'm currently waitlisted at my top three schools (GW, W&L, and Colorado). All of these schools are out of state for me and would require both plane tickets and taking several days off of work to visit (AKA: a lot of money). I've already sent LOCIs but I've been told that scheduling a tour/interview can really help move you off of the waitlist. I don't mind spending the time/money if it means it will help my case a good bit, but I just don't know how worth it it really is. Any advice on this matter? How much does actually visiting really help? Also, new user so sorry if this is posted in the wrong place.

[tourdeforcex]

i don't work in admissions, just a law student

how much does visiting actually help? i think: not much. getting off the waitlist is largely a function of how many accepted students reject the school. how high you are on that list is probably based on the usual: LSAT, GPA, softs. visiting and taking a tour is a tiny tiny tiny pump in that final "softs" category.

obviously it would be different if you could get a meeting w/ the director of admissions and really connected w/ him/her

a compromise solution: reach out to all friends you have at GW, W&L, Colorado, ask if they can e-mail the director w/ an informal LOR or just an e-mail saying: "this [guy/girl] is great! s/he is on the waitlist, accept her/him!"

as a student, i would do this for a friendly acquaintance. no skin off my back. i'm already in school.

[nmcdgt]

Anecdotal, but for my specific school, I think visiting helped me a lot. Scheduling a tour (and speaking with admissions people while I was there), combined with a LOCI and other correspondence with the school (keeping in touch with someone in the admissions office I met during the visit), really helped me I think. I was pulled off the waitlist later in the summer after the deposit deadlines when they were looking for a new batch of students to replace those that didn't pay their deposit; I literally got my acceptance the day after I e-mailed someone in the admissions office that I had been keeping in touch with, letting them know that I was still interested even though it was later in the cycle. However, as was mentioned, it's going to depend on how many people don't pay their seat deposits and how many people are on the waitlist.

[KremeCheez]

I was waitlisted WHILE visiting a school...so...yeah.