The Annual Waitlist / Waiting Pool Reality Check Thread

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think getting in off the waitlist for HS is a tad easier if coming in from a K-8 that will advocate for your child. Every year a few kids from our k-8 get off waitlists at some of the competitive schools.

I think most K-8 will advocate for kids to get into at least one school but will probably not break a heavy sweat to get kids into multiple schools (particularly if the target school accepted others from the K-8).

Our K-8 has had kids accepted at FH, Bullis, Burke, Madeira, etc. that have later gotten off the waitlist at Sidwell, GDS, Holton, etc. The K-8's want the matriculation that makes parents as happy as possible (so they don't switch their kids out early) which often means acceptance into the most competitive schools. They absolutely do help advocate for students waitlisted at their top choices.

[Anonymous]

Hope that's the case for everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think getting in off the waitlist for HS is a tad easier if coming in from a K-8 that will advocate for your child. Every year a few kids from our k-8 get off waitlists at some of the competitive schools.

I think most K-8 will advocate for kids to get into at least one school but will probably not break a heavy sweat to get kids into multiple schools (particularly if the target school accepted others from the K-8).

Maybe since a public probably won’t do any advocating.

[Anonymous]

True, but even the K-8 privates can’t make a waitlist move that otherwise wouldn’t have. Their advocacy was mostly in the application phase, not in getting their kids off of the waitlist.

[Anonymous]

I got waitlisted for boarding in Madeira. Anyone knows my chances of getting in or how fast the WL moves?

[Anonymous]

WL at Madeira is a soft no. There is a chance that you get off but it's very unlikely.

[Anonymous]

What about Holton or Field waitlists? Anyone actually gotten off the waitlist there?

[Anonymous]

Anyone get off the WL for SAES yet?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone get off the WL for SAES yet?

The notification deadlines have just passed or have not yet passed. Plus, SAES seems to have become another one of the schools that waitlists nearly everyone rather than rejects. I think meaningful waitlist movement, like everywhere else, is very improbable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Holton or Field waitlists? Anyone actually gotten off the waitlist there?

Holton waitlists rarely move. Field’s waitlist is a relatively new thing (at least the number of people on it) so not a ton of data. It seems like they also are choosing to use the waitlist as a soft no, which benefits the school but not the families applying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What about Holton or Field waitlists? Anyone actually gotten off the waitlist there?

My DD got in off the waitlist at Holton last year so it isn’t unheard of. Especially this year with everyone in the private and federal sector on shaky ground with jobs. Expect that there absolutely will be movement. Whether or not an offer extends to you depends on factors no one on this board can truthfully attest to unless they’re part of the admissions team and something tells me no one from any of these school admissions would be participating in these silly threads

[Anonymous]

While waitlists very occasionally move, the Gonzaga email confirming over-enrollment and no probably waitlist movement is, I suspect, the first of many.

I think that was a class move on Gonzaga's part and still strongly dislike how many schools use the waitlist as a nicer "no," giving parents false hope in the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While waitlists very occasionally move, the Gonzaga email confirming over-enrollment and no probably waitlist movement is, I suspect, the first of many.

I think that was a class move on Gonzaga's part and still strongly dislike how many schools use the waitlist as a nicer "no," giving parents false hope in the process.

It’s not a nicer no. It’s saying your DC is a good fit and we’d like to have them but it’s an issue of space and numbers.

A straight reject is saying no we don’t think it’s a fit.

Which would you rather?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While waitlists very occasionally move, the Gonzaga email confirming over-enrollment and no probably waitlist movement is, I suspect, the first of many.

I think that was a class move on Gonzaga's part and still strongly dislike how many schools use the waitlist as a nicer "no," giving parents false hope in the process.

It’s not a nicer no. It’s saying your DC is a good fit and we’d like to have them but it’s an issue of space and numbers.

A straight reject is saying no we don’t think it’s a fit.

Which would you rather?

There are a couple schools that rarely reject and the waitlist is essentially a soft no - or at least, students and parents have no way of knowing whether they are in the “we like you but no room” category or the “soft no” category. I’d rather they actually reject if that’s what they mean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While waitlists very occasionally move, the Gonzaga email confirming over-enrollment and no probably waitlist movement is, I suspect, the first of many.

I think that was a class move on Gonzaga's part and still strongly dislike how many schools use the waitlist as a nicer "no," giving parents false hope in the process.

It’s not a nicer no. It’s saying your DC is a good fit and we’d like to have them but it’s an issue of space and numbers.

A straight reject is saying no we don’t think it’s a fit.

Which would you rather?

I'd rather schools say "hey, your kid is qualified but we don't have the space so plan to go elsewhere." That happens to be the truth. Many schools waitpool all of their rejections and I don't think it's kind. Parents incorrectly think there is a decent chance of getting off of waitpools and it's misleading about something that is a big deal to families.