Wait Lists

[Anonymous]

My son just got two wait list letters today - Sidwell and Maret - for 9th grade admission. Anyone know if they wait list a lot of kids or if the wait list is long/active? Not sure the harm in letting him stay on the list, but don't want to prolong things for him if one of these schools tends to wait list students instead of reject them. I'd appreciate any advice if anyone knows how these 9th grade waiting lists work. Still haven't heard from St. A's yet.

[Anonymous]

I think the Sidwell list is active.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the quick reply!

[Anonymous]

Speaking of waiting lists...anyone know if the first week of April is the big week to get off a list? Do most people wait until the deadline to fish or cut bait on the deposit?

[Anonymous]

Sidwell definitely has no problem sending out rejection letters. But it is not easy to come off their waitlist, no matter how short it is.

[Anonymous]

My son got off a waitlist at a different school last year, but it was not until late May. We were very excited because it was our first choice, so I wanted people to realize that the possibility of getting off the list lasts well into Spring. People told me that last year, but I did not actually believe them. We did let the school know right away with a note to the AD how much we were hoping to get off the list. But there seems to be a great deal of luck involved as well.

[SAM2]

On another thread, someone suggested a survey tool aimed at counting who might turn down spots from various schools, so that people on the waitlists will have some sense of whether or not their WL might move. I thought that seemed like a good idea. I was thinking of a very simple list of schools, and people could tick off any schools where they are admitted but plan to decline the spot.

What do you think? Good idea, or waste of time?

[Anonymous]

I think it is a waste of time, because you will be giving false hope to people on waitlists.

Schools admit based on an expected yield, so when they are admitting kids, they are already planning that some will decline their offered spot. Just because a kid declines, that doesn't mean the school is going to the waitlist; schools only go to the waitlist when the declines are greater than they expected.

[Anonymous]

Within the past few years I've known kids to get off the wait list at both Sidwell (1) and Maret (2). I think one thing that is key is for your exmissions director to let the school you prefer know it is your first choice -- especially for Maret. I don't think there is a lot of movement, as the PP said, but it does happen. Just let them know you're motivated, and continue the conversation with them (without being obnoxious).

[Anonymous]

Just so people know -- even if people turn down spots -- that doesn't mean the school will go to the waitlists. It means the school has a formula based on based years as to what percent of kids they accept will actually accept the acceptance offer. I know our year, for example, Sidwell didn't take anyone off the waitlist for gr. 7. It is really stressful for everyone waiting for news.

[Anonymous]

We're new to the private school process this year. Our son was placed on a wait list for one school today, we've gotten acceptances to two others and are still waiting for three more. I read the contract for one of the schools where he was accepted and it appears that once we send in the deposit we are committed to paying the full year's tuition. Is that correct? In that case, it seems that being on a wait list is of little value unless you are not accepted to any schools or choose not to go to the schools where an acceptance was received. Am I missing something?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're new to the private school process this year. Our son was placed on a wait list for one school today, we've gotten acceptances to two others and are still waiting for three more. I read the contract for one of the schools where he was accepted and it appears that once we send in the deposit we are committed to paying the full year's tuition. Is that correct? In that case, it seems that being on a wait list is of little value unless you are not accepted to any schools or choose not to go to the schools where an acceptance was received. Am I missing something?

I'd call that school to double check but generally you put down a deposit to hold the space but are not responsible for full tuition until a set binding date. In most cases this date is May 31 or June 30. If you withdraw before the binding date you just lose the deposit.

[Anonymous]

If Sidwell is "a real wait list" does anyone know how many are on Sidwell's waitlist as compared to Maret whose waitlist was desribed as a soft reject?

[Anonymous]

Is the GDS list real?

[Anonymous]

I'd like to know the same question as PP - for anyone who has been through this - how real are these wait lists (or waiting pools)? We are now on the WL at all 3 schools that we applied, including GDS, and I have no clue what to do next or what to expect.