Which would you prefer, waitlist or outright rejection?

[Anonymous]

We all know that some waitlists are really rejections, depending on the school, the year, and the particular entrance class and whether it's already overenrolled or has tons of sibling/connected applicants. But for myself, I liked that DC, who was applying for an upper grade, got a letter than said things like "DC is totally qualified to be in the class, we just didn't have the room", instead of DC reading a rejection letter. Even though I personally knew it was basically a rejection.

Of course, we still had to explain to DC about all the sibling/connected kids that the school for some reason found superior to DC despite DC's own straight A's, test scores, and DC's own great athletic schools (team captain etc.). But in the end, it was easier from DC's perspective (if not from mine) to get waitlisted instead of rejected.

But given that people are complaining about the waitlist letters too, why do you feel differently?

[Anonymous]

For older kids I think the wait lists have pros and cons. It's nice not to be rejected. On the other hand a couple of years ago my child had trouble giving up hope on one waitlist even though she had a great school to go to. She was slower to embrace the other school.

[Anonymous]

Like taking off a band-aid, do it quickly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We all know that some waitlists are really rejections, depending on the school, the year, and the particular entrance class and whether it's already overenrolled or has tons of sibling/connected applicants. But for myself, I liked that DC, who was applying for an upper grade, got a letter than said things like "DC is totally qualified to be in the class, we just didn't have the room", instead of DC reading a rejection letter. Even though I personally knew it was basically a rejection.

Of course, we still had to explain to DC about all the sibling/connected kids that the school for some reason found superior to DC despite DC's own straight A's, test scores, and DC's own great athletic schools (team captain etc.). But in the end, it was easier from DC's perspective (if not from mine) to get waitlisted instead of rejected.

But given that people are complaining about the waitlist letters too, why do you feel differently?

Despite what people keep saying, a w/l is NOT a rejection. A rejection is a rejection. If you're waitlisted it means, by definition, your child was qualified to be at the school but for whatever reason, there wasn't room in the initial pool. I found it a lot easier to deal with than a rejection when we went through it. People do get in off the w/l - for us, we sent back our "take us off the w/l" cards right away and turned down other acceptances right away because DC got into our first choice school. I know people who pulled out of a class right before school started in September, enabling someone else to get in. I know it's hard to deal with, but wl is better than an outright rejection!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Despite what people keep saying, a w/l is NOT a rejection. A rejection is a rejection. If you're waitlisted it means, by definition, your child was qualified to be at the school but for whatever reason, there wasn't room in the initial pool.

It really depends on the school, IMO. Being on a waitlist for an overenrolled class is pretty much a hopeless prospect, so in that case I'd prefer a rejection. Being on a waitlist for for a school that sees a lot of kids turn it down for other schools means that the school might actually have a use for its waitlist. So the 2nd school isn't doing families a disservice by pretending they have a chance, because they actually do have a chance. Unlike at the first school.

I know, schools don't know if they will be enrolled, i.e. have more acceptances than places, until after they mail out the letters. But some schools seem to be serial offenders here, so this seems like no excuse, instead it seems like they're being greedy for the top kids and instead they should accept fewer next year and have "real" waitlists.

[Anonymous]

My DC is waitlisted at a school he wants (older child) and i would have preferred a rejection. Lets get on with things already.

[Anonymous]

rejection

[Anonymous]

As long as it's a real waitlist, it's much better to know your child was wanted and that there's a definite chance they could end up going to the school. The key is to not hang on forever to the hope of getting in.

Once the early April movement and the June movement have happened, it might be best to move on.

[Anonymous]

so what's the likelyhood of getting in Beauvoir or GDS off the waitlist?