WL Rant

[Anonymous]

DD was on a bunch of waitlists (6). I realize in most cases these were soft, “nos” from the beginning. I hate how colleges conduct their waitlists. If she really had a chance, great. Put her on the WL. But if it’s just ceremonial, *f* that. The kids would rather get an outright no that just be strung along, checking their emails a bunch of times a day for months, with false hope.

They need to stop this fake WL BS. It’s not the nicer way to say no that they think it is. It tortures the kid for no reason.

[Anonymous]

I agree. They want to keep people on the list just in case they need to fill spots, but at some point they must surely know it’s a cut-off.

[Anonymous]

But if you knew they were no’s , as we did, then you coach your kid appropriately and turn their attention to the what is real - their acceptances. Part of that is on you OP. However I generally agree that the whole college application process is over-manufactured BS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:But if you knew they were no’s , as we did, then you coach your kid appropriately and turn their attention to the what is real - their acceptances. Part of that is on you OP. However I generally agree that the whole college application process is over-manufactured BS.

Come on. If someone said to you, “you might get the job,” even if you know deep down you probably won’t, you still harbor some hope.

This isn’t on the parents.

[Anonymous]

WL are real. Has she reached out to admissions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree. They want to keep people on the list just in case they need to fill spots, but at some point they must surely know it’s a cut-off.

I would rather have a step-wise process. If they have 1000 on the W at the beginning but it looks like they may only need to fill 50 spots, then cut the WL in half. Let those kids go.

[Anonymous]

WL mean that you match their criteria for admitting during this cycle, but they still didn’t pick you. Sometimes enough of the kids they did pick say no, and there is room. It’s a messy process, but it works out for some.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. They want to keep people on the list just in case they need to fill spots, but at some point they must surely know it’s a cut-off.

I would rather have a step-wise process. If they have 1000 on the W at the beginning but it looks like they may only need to fill 50 spots, then cut the WL in half. Let those kids go.

What makes you think that colleges care about how this process impacts the students? They don’t. At all. It works perfectly for their purposes and they will continue it until it doesn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But if you knew they were no’s , as we did, then you coach your kid appropriately and turn their attention to the what is real - their acceptances. Part of that is on you OP. However I generally agree that the whole college application process is over-manufactured BS.

Come on. If someone said to you, “you might get the job,” even if you know deep down you probably won’t, you still harbor some hope.

This isn’t on the parents.

Oh stop off. You’re ridiculous. NO. I would not hold out hope if I’m in a pool of 2500 for said job... which is what waitlist are.

[Anonymous]

The college process is the often the first or first significant application process that our kids have to go through, so it can be tough on some parents to see their kids upset from dealing with their first flat rejection with no recourse for the first time. But college and adulthood is full of these, so it’s important to learn to take it for what it is, not internalize it, and move on.

If any of you out there have a kid who struggled with college rejections, I would highly recommend they do not go through sorority recruitment. It’s like college applications in-person plus they’re openly allowed to and will judge you on your face, body, social media savviness, connections, and what the frats they like to associate with will think of you. It’s not a process for the faint of heart.

Come to think of it, job applications aren’t much different, they’re just better at hiding what they’re judging you on because of legal ramifications.

College applications may actually be the most objective application you ever submit.

[Anonymous]

The WL process is open to criticism. Colleges do it for THEIR benefit, not to "be nice" or give kids false hope. They do it because they don't know who will not enroll and where they have to pull from.

Up to you how you treat a WL. IMHO it is the one true part of this process that actually is kinda like a lottery ticket and should be treated accordingly.

[Anonymous]

DD had two wait lists and accepted somewhere else. She is now attending one of the WL schools so it can happen,

[Anonymous]

DD had two wait lists and accepted somewhere else. She is now attending one of the WL schools so it can happen,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree. They want to keep people on the list just in case they need to fill spots, but at some point they must surely know it’s a cut-off.

I would rather have a step-wise process. If they have 1000 on the W at the beginning but it looks like they may only need to fill 50 spots, then cut the WL in half. Let those kids go.

That information is in the Common Data Set for each school. Look under C2 for a school's CDS. For example, Fordham offered over 8000 students a spot on the waiting list a few years ago. Just over 2000 students accepted a spot and about half of them were offered a spot.

https://www.fordham.edu/download/downloads/id/14986/common_data_set_2019-2020.pdf

[Anonymous]

PP here. I meant to write that half of the students on their waiting list were offered admission to Fordham.