Held at Northwestern - 3/25/2010 - What does this mean? Forum

[Bobushka22]

Basically, I have heard on TLS that a hold is basically like the waitlist for the fortunate... you are acceptable, beyond "meh" material, but they are running out of seats and want you to wrestle in the mud for the last seat. However, I was wondering if anybody could impart additional wisdom upon me by answering the following questions:
1. Does a "Hold" on 3/25/2010 have a different meaning since seat deposits are coming up in about three weeks or is this just incidental?
2. How do you get off "Hold" (LOCI - Done and Done, Bug them?)
3. When should I expect a real decision by?
4. Is this a de facto acceptance as most applicants have applied to 20 schools this cycle and will be dropping off like flies?
a. I am hoping this is the case
5. Anything I am missing?

Thanks everybody!

[09042014]

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[Bobushka22]

Thank you. That was rather helpful and should have been one of my first points of reference. Please note that I just got off work a little while ago, got the news, and knew somebody on here wouild be adept enough to make me wiser. Thank you again.

[Encyclopedia Brown]

It means welcome to the club. Good luck!

[Bobushka22]

Awesome... at least now I know who I am mud wrestling with for the last seat. =D Good luck buddy. The reason why I mention whether a hold means more than a hold in this cycle in particular is that, if I understand everything correctly, a hold is better than being on the waitlist. However, in this cycle, I would have to assume that schools will recruit more heavily from their waitlists than they have in the past. Therefore, if they touch the waitlist at all, I would think that we are in the clear for acceptance barring a recent felony conviction or something else obtuse. Is this on point? The only thing that I could think that would invalidate this reasoning is if Northwestern was hardly waitlisting anybody and decided to do some sort of massive hold. Then we'd be doomed (some of us). Insights anybody?