What would you do if waitlisted at your top choice but accepted at another school?

[Anonymous]

Call the AD and simply ask:

Is DC's position on the WL high enough that they may be made an offer of Admission by deposit deadline ( March ? 21st )

If the AD hedges at all..... that is a NO and go with the school that wants your child and don't look back

Once you are inside many schools are different that your first impression . The ADs have been doing this for decades most of them.

You are on your 1st rodeo, likely

If they REALLY wanted your DC or want them on high WL they would have admitted your DC or high WL them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call the AD and simply ask:

Is DC's position on the WL high enough that they may be made an offer of Admission by deposit deadline ( March ? 21st )

If the AD hedges at all..... that is a NO and go with the school that wants your child and don't look back

Once you are inside many schools are different that your first impression . The ADs have been doing this for decades most of them.

You are on your 1st rodeo, likely

If they REALLY wanted your DC or want them on high WL they would have admitted your DC or high WL them

Makes sense

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call the AD and simply ask:

Is DC's position on the WL high enough that they may be made an offer of Admission by deposit deadline ( March ? 21st )

If the AD hedges at all..... that is a NO and go with the school that wants your child and don't look back

Once you are inside many schools are different that your first impression . The ADs have been doing this for decades most of them.

You are on your 1st rodeo, likely

If they REALLY wanted your DC or want them on high WL they would have admitted your DC or high WL them

Very helpful! Should I avoid mentioning the other school's offer when talking to the top choice's AD? Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Call the AD and simply ask:

Is DC's position on the WL high enough that they may be made an offer of Admission by deposit deadline ( March ? 21st )

If the AD hedges at all..... that is a NO and go with the school that wants your child and don't look back

Once you are inside many schools are different that your first impression . The ADs have been doing this for decades most of them.

You are on your 1st rodeo, likely

If they REALLY wanted your DC or want them on high WL they would have admitted your DC or high WL them

This is terrible advice.

First, WLs are not numerically ranked. Candidates are pulled off the waitlist as they match characteristics of whoever declines their offer. So let's say a school made an offer to an extroverted, sporty, African American girl. If she declines, they will look for a candidate from the waitlist who has a similar profile, not a introverted, white science geek boy.

Get it?

Second, NO offers will be made before the deposit deadline in March. The schools will wait to see how their whole class has shifted and reconfigure it from the WL.

This is why you don't take advice blindly from DCUM. So many idiots with so little knowledge holding forth like they know something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Call the AD and simply ask:

Is DC's position on the WL high enough that they may be made an offer of Admission by deposit deadline ( March ? 21st )

If the AD hedges at all..... that is a NO and go with the school that wants your child and don't look back

Once you are inside many schools are different that your first impression . The ADs have been doing this for decades most of them.

You are on your 1st rodeo, likely

If they REALLY wanted your DC or want them on high WL they would have admitted your DC or high WL them

This is terrible advice.

First, WLs are not numerically ranked. Candidates are pulled off the waitlist as they match characteristics of whoever declines their offer. So let's say a school made an offer to an extroverted, sporty, African American girl. If she declines, they will look for a candidate from the waitlist who has a similar profile, not a introverted, white science geek boy.

Get it?

Second, NO offers will be made before the deposit deadline in March. The schools will wait to see how their whole class has shifted and reconfigure it from the WL.

This is why you don't take advice blindly from DCUM. So many idiots with so little knowledge holding forth like they know something.

No wonder the wl responses are also due by March 15. I guess ADs won't review the waiting lists until after the 15th?

[Anonymous]

Does anyone ever get off a waitlist before 3/15 or so.
I've noticed some contracts due 3/22 and some 3/15.
Are most 3/15?
Only have two admits- one of each date.
I figure we'll wait to accept the one we want of these two until the day before deadline in case we hear from a WL which might be a preferred school.

[Anonymous]

Also new to the process. Waitlisted everywhere! What should we say to show our continued interest in our top choice (we indicated it in our application) and other schools?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever get off a waitlist before 3/15 or so.
I've noticed some contracts due 3/22 and some 3/15.
Are most 3/15?
Only have two admits- one of each date.
I figure we'll wait to accept the one we want of these two until the day before deadline in case we hear from a WL which might be a preferred school.

Yes some people get into multiple schools and will quick decline the offer at schools they are not interested in....other in the same situation will wait till the deadline.

[Anonymous]

It's also important to remember schools likely extended more offers than they have spots because they expect that some admitted students will decline.

So, if you see a post on here that someone's DS has declined SFS for 9th, don't assume that SFS is going to turn to the WL to fill that spot.

Congratulations to kids who got good news yesterday. This is a tough process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Call the AD and simply ask:

Is DC's position on the WL high enough that they may be made an offer of Admission by deposit deadline ( March ? 21st )

If the AD hedges at all..... that is a NO and go with the school that wants your child and don't look back

Once you are inside many schools are different that your first impression . The ADs have been doing this for decades most of them.

You are on your 1st rodeo, likely

If they REALLY wanted your DC or want them on high WL they would have admitted your DC or high WL them

This is terrible advice.

First, WLs are not numerically ranked. Candidates are pulled off the waitlist as they match characteristics of whoever declines their offer. So let's say a school made an offer to an extroverted, sporty, African American girl. If she declines, they will look for a candidate from the waitlist who has a similar profile, not a introverted, white science geek boy.

Get it?

Second, NO offers will be made before the deposit deadline in March. The schools will wait to see how their whole class has shifted and reconfigure it from the WL.

This is why you don't take advice blindly from DCUM. So many idiots with so little knowledge holding forth like they know something.

No wonder the wl responses are also due by March 15. I guess ADs won't review the waiting lists until after the 15th?

That’s correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever get off a waitlist before 3/15 or so.
I've noticed some contracts due 3/22 and some 3/15.
Are most 3/15?
Only have two admits- one of each date.
I figure we'll wait to accept the one we want of these two until the day before deadline in case we hear from a WL which might be a preferred school.

Yes some people get into multiple schools and will quick decline the offer at schools they are not interested in....other in the same situation will wait till the deadline.

It doesn’t matter. No one gets off the WL until after the mid-March response deadline - at least for the first tier schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever get off a waitlist before 3/15 or so.
I've noticed some contracts due 3/22 and some 3/15.
Are most 3/15?
Only have two admits- one of each date.
I figure we'll wait to accept the one we want of these two until the day before deadline in case we hear from a WL which might be a preferred school.

Yes some people get into multiple schools and will quick decline the offer at schools they are not interested in....other in the same situation will wait till the deadline.

It doesn’t matter. No one gets off the WL until after the mid-March response deadline - at least for the first tier schools.

Not always true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your inputs! Now I really don't know if we should write to our top choice to show our continued interest (I heard this sometimes helps) or just stay on the wl quietly...

OP, you should definitely write to your top choice school, but don’t make it bland and business-like.

Write to the school and tell them everything you loved about it — include specific details that show how well you came to know the school — and why you believe your child would thrive and contribute to that school’s community. Make it a heartfelt letter that sings. Put thoughtful effort into it. If you’re a terrible writer, work with someone who is great at it.

At this point, it’s the only thing that will make you stand out beyond th facts you can’t control. Admissions people are human. Like any of us, they can be swayed by genuine appreciation for their school and a strong, clear desire to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone ever get off a waitlist before 3/15 or so.
I've noticed some contracts due 3/22 and some 3/15.
Are most 3/15?
Only have two admits- one of each date.
I figure we'll wait to accept the one we want of these two until the day before deadline in case we hear from a WL which might be a preferred school.

Yes some people get into multiple schools and will quick decline the offer at schools they are not interested in....other in the same situation will wait till the deadline.

It doesn’t matter. No one gets off the WL until after the mid-March response deadline - at least for the first tier schools.

Not always true.

Depends on what you define as first tier. Doesn’t happen at Sidwell, Cathedrals, and GDS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you all for your inputs! Now I really don't know if we should write to our top choice to show our continued interest (I heard this sometimes helps) or just stay on the wl quietly...

OP, you should definitely write to your top choice school, but don’t make it bland and business-like.

Write to the school and tell them everything you loved about it — include specific details that show how well you came to know the school — and why you believe your child would thrive and contribute to that school’s community. Make it a heartfelt letter that sings. Put thoughtful effort into it. If you’re a terrible writer, work with someone who is great at it.

At this point, it’s the only thing that will make you stand out beyond th facts you can’t control. Admissions people are human. Like any of us, they can be swayed by genuine appreciation for their school and a strong, clear desire to attend.

Blech. OP, just be yourself in the letter, not who this person tells you you should be.