Better to be on a waitlist or still in review at this point? Forum

[tigrelis]

.

[OneKnight]

if they haven't:

1. accepted,
2. rejected, or
3. waitlested

you as of now (mid-late april), you are going to be:

1. waitlisted,
2. rejected, or
3. accepted

in that order of ascending probability.

LOL i highly doubt the highest probability is to be ACCEPTED even if you're under review earlier.

Definitely meant descending probability...

[PDaddy]

IMO, better to be on a waitlist. Many schools look at applications not on first-come-first-serve, but based on index. If you haven't been reviewed yet, and the deadline for the school has passed some time ago, then its likely you aren't high on their index.

Adcoms at some schools separate files by "strength" (if they aren't on rolling basis (UW-Seattle is one of these), while others separate them by strength and order of arrival. A third way to group them is strictly by order of arrival, so it's sometimes tough to tell. While most adcoms claim to do the latter, I believe they employ the second method more than any.

But if you were "low" on the index, you would be dispatched in as quick of an order as the superstuds are admitted. The easiest apps are the auto-admits and the weak ones. The apps that fall somewhere in the middle are tough, some more than others. I also think the adcoms will begin working from the "outside-in", meaning the next best and next worst apps (not necessarily by numbers) probably get admitted, rejected or WL, and as time goes on, the adcoms reach those candidates who fall somewhere in the "middle" to "high-middle" range.

By "middle", I don't mean numbers, per se; I mean middle in terms of generating the adcom's enthusiasm for admission. I say an efficient adcom would have the "most interesting" apps that aren't auto-admits still in play at this point. There are reasons to admit, WL or deny these applications, and the adcom can't decide what to do. The applications of high-middle strength for the prospective school get the most reads.

So, an application that was on high-middle ground but arrived back in November might still be in play for comparative reasons.

[legalease9]

In response to OP, Who cares? At this point a candidate probably wouldn't get admitted either way.

[JOThompson]

I'd rather be in review because it means the (small) possibility of an acceptance. Like other posters have stated, lack of a decision at this late stage is probably a negative indicator.

[Generic20101L]

if they haven't:

1. accepted,
2. rejected, or
3. waitlested

you as of now (mid-late april), you are going to be:

1. waitlisted,
2. rejected, or
3. accepted

in that order of ascending probability.

I would say that it completely depends on the school and it's impossible to tell.

[macunaima]

If still under review:
- you could be accepted with scholarship $ after the scholarship deadlines though unlikely (+2)
- you could be accepted (+1)
- you could be WL (+0)
- you could be rejected (-1)

If waitlisted:
- you could be accepted (+1)
- you could be rejected (-1)

I'd say it's more favorable to be under review still.

Is this true? In particular, are there really no chances of being accepted *with money* off the waitlist?

[JOThompson]

If still under review:
- you could be accepted with scholarship $ after the scholarship deadlines though unlikely (+2)
- you could be accepted (+1)
- you could be WL (+0)
- you could be rejected (-1)

If waitlisted:
- you could be accepted (+1)
- you could be rejected (-1)

I'd say it's more favorable to be under review still.

Is this true? In particular, are there really no chances of being accepted *with money* off the waitlist?

I've heard of some waitlisters receiving small scholarships. It's also possible that school will need waitlisted splitters enough to offer them substantial money.

[jamesc760]

if they haven't:

1. accepted,
2. rejected, or
3. waitlested

you as of now (mid-late april), you are going to be:

1. waitlisted,
2. rejected, or
3. accepted

in that order of ascending probability.

LOL i highly doubt the highest probability is to be ACCEPTED even if you're under review earlier.

sorry, my bad... I meant to say DESCENDING probability as in:

1. waitlisted (Highest probability)
2. rejected, (next highest probability)
3. accepted (least probable).

[jamesc760]

if they haven't:

1. accepted,
2. rejected, or
3. waitlested

you as of now (mid-late april), you are going to be:

1. waitlisted,
2. rejected, or
3. accepted

in that order of ascending probability.

LOL i highly doubt the highest probability is to be ACCEPTED even if you're under review earlier.

+1, what he said...
Definitely meant descending probability...

[jamesc760]

if they haven't:

1. accepted,
2. rejected, or
3. waitlested

you as of now (mid-late april), you are going to be:

1. waitlisted,
2. rejected, or
3. accepted

in that order of ascending probability.

I would say that it completely depends on the school and it's impossible to tell.

At this point in the cycle (late April), most schools have made up their incoming 1L class for Fall'2010. If they haven't accepted you at this point, your chance of getting an admission is highly unlikely. From T14 all the way down to TTTT, same situation applies. There ain't no seats left any more.

[expungemalice]

not necessarily true, with the increased # of applications (roughly 20% across the board) and relatively similar # of applicants (in comparison to what they expected) the waitlists may be used more extensively than they have been in the past.

[Hey-O]

IMO, better to be on a waitlist. Many schools look at applications not on first-come-first-serve, but based on index. If you haven't been reviewed yet, and the deadline for the school has passed some time ago, then its likely you aren't high on their index.

Adcoms at some schools separate files by "strength" (if they aren't on rolling basis (UW-Seattle is one of these), while others separate them by strength and order of arrival. A third way to group them is strictly by order of arrival, so it's sometimes tough to tell. While most adcoms claim to do the latter, I believe they employ the second method more than any.

But if you were "low" on the index, you would be dispatched in as quick of an order as the superstuds are admitted. The easiest apps are the auto-admits and the weak ones. The apps that fall somewhere in the middle are tough, some more than others. I also think the adcoms will begin working from the "outside-in", meaning the next best and next worst apps (not necessarily by numbers) probably get admitted, rejected or WL, and as time goes on, the adcoms reach those candidates who fall somewhere in the "middle" to "high-middle" range.

By "middle", I don't mean numbers, per se; I mean middle in terms of generating the adcom's enthusiasm for admission. I say an efficient adcom would have the "most interesting" apps that aren't auto-admits still in play at this point. There are reasons to admit, WL or deny these applications, and the adcom can't decide what to do. The applications of high-middle strength for the prospective school get the most reads.

So, an application that was on high-middle ground but arrived back in November might still be in play for comparative reasons.

This is very interesting and sounds accurate. Where do you get your info? Did you work in admissions or is this what you surmise to be true?

[Mr. Matlock]

IMO, better to be on a waitlist. Many schools look at applications not on first-come-first-serve, but based on index. If you haven't been reviewed yet, and the deadline for the school has passed some time ago, then its likely you aren't high on their index.

Adcoms at some schools separate files by "strength" (if they aren't on rolling basis (UW-Seattle is one of these), while others separate them by strength and order of arrival. A third way to group them is strictly by order of arrival, so it's sometimes tough to tell. While most adcoms claim to do the latter, I believe they employ the second method more than any.

But if you were "low" on the index, you would be dispatched in as quick of an order as the superstuds are admitted. The easiest apps are the auto-admits and the weak ones. The apps that fall somewhere in the middle are tough, some more than others. I also think the adcoms will begin working from the "outside-in", meaning the next best and next worst apps (not necessarily by numbers) probably get admitted, rejected or WL, and as time goes on, the adcoms reach those candidates who fall somewhere in the "middle" to "high-middle" range.

By "middle", I don't mean numbers, per se; I mean middle in terms of generating the adcom's enthusiasm for admission. I say an efficient adcom would have the "most interesting" apps that aren't auto-admits still in play at this point. There are reasons to admit, WL or deny these applications, and the adcom can't decide what to do. The applications of high-middle strength for the prospective school get the most reads.

So, an application that was on high-middle ground but arrived back in November might still be in play for comparative reasons.

This is very interesting and sounds accurate. Where do you get your info? Did you work in admissions or is this what you surmise to be true?

No one here has the slightest clue. Those who offer answers are just bored 0L's who love to speculate and extrapolate the theories that they've read from others here on TLS.

[pugalicious]

Yup ^.

On that note, I'm pretending the reason I haven't heard back yet is because I'm on a super-secret special waitlist that will be tapped before the actual waitlist.

I am choosing to say this because no one on the boards for the specific school I am thinking of has recieved an official waitlist yet.

[Flanker1067]

There is no difference because if you are still in review, your app = waitlist. I have heard back from three schools in the last week and a half that I was wondering WTF happened too, all waitlists.

[pugalicious]

There is no difference because if you are still in review, your app = waitlist. I have heard back from three schools in the last week and a half that I was wondering WTF happened too, all waitlists.

I like to think that because it's not official, I'm at the front of the line. : ) Let me have my little fantasy.

[Jerzeegirl]

I think it depends on the school. I know Brooklyn looks at applications in the order they were received, and if you submitted after a certain date, they only started looking at your application in the last few weeks.

[Flanker1067]

There is no difference because if you are still in review, your app = waitlist. I have heard back from three schools in the last week and a half that I was wondering WTF happened too, all waitlists.

I like to think that because it's not official, I'm at the front of the line. : ) Let me have my little fantasy.

NO. This is TLS, I am here to crush your hopes and dreams and impose my thoughts and opinions upon you. Also, I do kind of agree that it depends on the school.

[Generic20101L]

Had 3 decisions this week from applications sent in January. Waitlist, rejection, acceptance.

So, anyone who thinks they know what they are talking about here, really has no clue. If you have the numbers and they have the slot, you get it. If not, you get rejected or waitlisted. Not really complicated.

[pugalicious]

Had 3 decisions this week from applications sent in January. Waitlist, rejection, acceptance.

So, anyone who thinks they know what they are talking about here, really has no clue. If you have the numbers and they have the slot, you get it. If not, you get rejected or waitlisted. Not really complicated.

....thaaaaaat's what she said.

[futurelawyer413]

Had 3 decisions this week from applications sent in January. Waitlist, rejection, acceptance.

So, anyone who thinks they know what they are talking about here, really has no clue. If you have the numbers and they have the slot, you get it. If not, you get rejected or waitlisted. Not really complicated.

....thaaaaaat's what she said.

+1

[Generic20101L]

Had 3 decisions this week from applications sent in January. Waitlist, rejection, acceptance.

So, anyone who thinks they know what they are talking about here, really has no clue. If you have the numbers and they have the slot, you get it. If not, you get rejected or waitlisted. Not really complicated.

....thaaaaaat's what she said.

+1

I agree.