Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 13:26     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:I know one kid who got called from Northwestern, Duke, Brown and Vanderbilt already this month.

They are admitting all the same kids. Not unusual, but in a year with so much international uncertainty, why didn’t they just over admit domestic (with the exact same need profile as international) - some of this looks like poor planning to me.

I’d imagine turnover in these offices (at the top) if any of them under enroll .

My guess is that the uncertainty is what prevented them from over-admitting domestic RD. They have a lot more control admitting via the waitlist.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 13:24     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:I know one kid who got called from Northwestern, Duke, Brown and Vanderbilt already this month.

They are admitting all the same kids. Not unusual, but in a year with so much international uncertainty, why didn’t they just over admit domestic (with the exact same need profile as international) - some of this looks like poor planning to me.

I’d imagine turnover in these offices (at the top) if any of them under enroll .

They subcontract to the same small group of enrollment management consultants.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 13:08     Subject: Waitlist movement
I know one kid who got called from Northwestern, Duke, Brown and Vanderbilt already this month.

They are admitting all the same kids. Not unusual, but in a year with so much international uncertainty, why didn’t they just over admit domestic (with the exact same need profile as international) - some of this looks like poor planning to me.

I’d imagine turnover in these offices (at the top) if any of them under enroll .
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 13:05     Subject: Waitlist movement
It’s not just Northwestern. It’s Duke too. And brown. And JHU.

All schools in the same ish tier.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 11:36     Subject: Waitlist movement
Just because a college like Northwestern is having trouble reaching its yield goals doesn't mean that it is part of a broader trend.

There will always be misses for schools. Remember what happened here at American University? They just misjudged their yield. I wouldn't use one year as a trend.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 11:22     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:It's not just the waitlist Northwestern straight up admitted many, many students from DMV under ED and RD.

So, they overfocused on the DMV compared to the rest of the country? Overall, they admitted about 100 fewer students than last year in ED and RD combined.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 11:16     Subject: Waitlist movement
It's not just the waitlist Northwestern straight up admitted many, many students from DMV under ED and RD.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 10:29     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The northwestern WL is moving much much more than in previous years. Possibly more than Vanderbilt.

Severe miscalculations.

Curious about where you are getting your information about WL movement? My kid is on the WL so we are watching closely. I don't think I've seen any on reddit in the past week. There were some the week before that.

By my guesstimates, NU admitted roughly 50 fewer in ED and 50 fewer in RD than last year. In the most recent CDS, NU only admitted 55 off the waitlist. It's possible that this year, NU admitted fewer intentionally, with a plan to use the WL more extensively than in the past, as it's obvious they would need to admit many more off the WL compared to past years, to make up 100 students at varying levels of yield, as yield off the WL is very different from both ED and RD rounds.


Brown did this too. Intentionally admitted 100 fewer this year than last with a plan to use the WL more extensively.
In contrast, Dartmouth admitted ~40 more--with the intent to not use the waitlist at all this year (they outright admitted ED+RD+last years' waitlist number.)

PP. My guess is that it's a particular strategy in the face of uncertainty, better than overenrolling. Perhaps they use the same enrollment management consultant. I noticed that Brown accepted more off the waitlist just yesterday.

In contrast, Tufts previously used its waitlist quite a bit, clearly intentionally, yet this year that does not appear to be happening, with perhaps a few tiny trickles of waitlist acceptances, they admitted hardly anyone off the waitlist, unless they just haven't gotten around to it yet, as if they are waiting for more prestigious waitlists to settle down before they start making significant numbers of offers.

One might wonder if even Northwestern is planning a bit of this. They sent out an email asking for reconfirmation of waitlist interest, saying that only those who have reconfirmed will be admitted after June 1... which implies that they see their waitlist going into June. While going into June isn't unusual in general, as waitlists at many schools over the years do go into June, it makes sense in the current events context with regard to potential uncertainty over international visas, e.g., if Harvard were to go to the waitlist more than in the past, one might expect more trickle-up movement at other highly selective schools.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 10:24     Subject: Waitlist movement
Northwestern is not directional school. It is a private school.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 10:23     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The northwestern WL is moving much much more than in previous years. Possibly more than Vanderbilt.

Severe miscalculations.

Curious about where you are getting your information about WL movement? My kid is on the WL so we are watching closely. I don't think I've seen any on reddit in the past week. There were some the week before that.

By my guesstimates, NU admitted roughly 50 fewer in ED and 50 fewer in RD than last year. In the most recent CDS, NU only admitted 55 off the waitlist. It's possible that this year, NU admitted fewer intentionally, with a plan to use the WL more extensively than in the past, as it's obvious they would need to admit many more off the WL compared to past years, to make up 100 students at varying levels of yield, as yield off the WL is very different from both ED and RD rounds.


Brown did this too. Intentionally admitted 100 fewer this year than last with a plan to use the WL more extensively.
In contrast, Dartmouth admitted ~40 more--with the intent to not use the waitlist at all this year (they outright admitted ED+RD+last years' waitlist number.)

PP. My guess is that it's a particular strategy in the face of uncertainty, better than overenrolling. Perhaps they use the same enrollment management consultant. I noticed that Brown accepted more off the waitlist just yesterday.

In contrast, Tufts previously used its waitlist quite a bit, clearly intentionally, yet this year that does not appear to be happening, with perhaps a few tiny trickles of waitlist acceptances, they admitted hardly anyone off the waitlist, unless they just haven't gotten around to it yet, as if they are waiting for more prestigious waitlists to settle down before they start making significant numbers of offers.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 10:15     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:The northwestern WL is moving much much more than in previous years. Possibly more than Vanderbilt.

Severe miscalculations.

Curious about where you are getting your information about WL movement? My kid is on the WL so we are watching closely. I don't think I've seen any on reddit in the past week. There were some the week before that.

By my guesstimates, NU admitted roughly 50 fewer in ED and 50 fewer in RD than last year. In the most recent CDS, NU only admitted 55 off the waitlist. It's possible that this year, NU admitted fewer intentionally, with a plan to use the WL more extensively than in the past, as it's obvious they would need to admit many more off the WL compared to past years, to make up 100 students at varying levels of yield, as yield off the WL is very different from both ED and RD rounds.


Brown did this too. Intentionally admitted 100 fewer this year than last with a plan to use the WL more extensively.
In contrast, Dartmouth admitted ~40 more--with the intent to not use the waitlist at all this year (they outright admitted ED+RD+last years' waitlist number.)
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 09:41     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:The northwestern WL is moving much much more than in previous years. Possibly more than Vanderbilt.

Severe miscalculations.

Curious about where you are getting your information about WL movement? My kid is on the WL so we are watching closely. I don't think I've seen any on reddit in the past week. There were some the week before that.

By my guesstimates, NU admitted roughly 50 fewer in ED and 50 fewer in RD than last year. In the most recent CDS, NU only admitted 55 off the waitlist. It's possible that this year, NU admitted fewer intentionally, with a plan to use the WL more extensively than in the past, as it's obvious they would need to admit many more off the WL compared to past years, to make up 100 students at varying levels of yield, as yield off the WL is very different from both ED and RD rounds.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 09:36     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:Northwestern seems a bit desperate. There are SO many students from the DMV area attending.


Northeastern is the new “in” directional school. Northwestern has lost its luster.
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 09:36     Subject: Waitlist movement
It’s everyone. Duke still moving too which is unusual this late
Anonymous
Post 05/24/2025 09:32     Subject: Waitlist movement
Anonymous wrote:DC (humanities major) was admitted from Brown's waitlist yesterday.

Was all set on W&M's Monroe Scholar program, but is now torn between the two.


Decision?