The Waitlist game

In many ways nothing is worse than seeing that your child has been added to a waitlist. It's so much easier to see an acceptance (YAY) or a denial (WHAT?!?). But what do you do if you're on a waitlist? What are your real chances?

This is a personal subject in my household. A large midwestern university, whose name we still try not to mention, placed my older daughter on a waitlist. This was her first choice college. Now, she got accepted into "better" schools - schools with more of a national, and international, reputation - schools with a better department of choice in her preferred major.

But that wasn't the point. HER first choice college waitlisted HER. The spring was hell.

But we visited the schools that did accept her. And she put in her deposit at her second-best school of choice. And has fallen in love with it. Great decision in the end.

And when did this midwestern bastion of education let her know she was not going to be offered admission? August 1. Which is why we still don't mention their name.

Not every waitlisted student hears in August. Every school treats their waitlist differently.

Let's look at three different schools and their waitlists.  Williams, a small liberal arts college (LAC), thought of as the best in the nation, accepted 1,230 lucky students in 2017. They ended up with 864 students on their waitlist, accepted 24, and had a freshman class of 553.  Georgia Tech, that rambling wreck, admitted 7,860 students, had 2,267 on their waitlist, accepted 470, and had a freshman class of 2,877.  And Vanderbilt admitted 3,487 students, did not disclose how HUGE their waitlist probably was, accepted 71, and had a freshman class of 1,619.

So let's do some quick math. Williams had a waitlist 70% as large as their acceptance pool, and 150% as large as their freshman class. YIKES!!!  Now, for Georgia Tech: the waitlist was about 25% the size of the accepted pool, and the size of the freshman class.  And Vanderbilt....who knows.

But for the math that matters, that is, your chances of getting in off the waitlist. Well, again, for Vandy, who knows. Williams...it's bleak. Under 3% last year.  But Georgia Tech was 20% - not too shabby.

And as for Harvard, my favorite school to pick on (I am a Lion after all), it does not appear anyone gets in off the waitlist, since they do not report this data.

So the bottom line if your child is waitlisted?  DO send them an update with new information IF they are truly your first-choice and tell them you'll attend if you are accepted. DO NOT expect any merit aid. DO NOT expect to get in. Move on with college decisions. Send in deposits for housing and registration. Get psyched about other options. Buy t-shirts and hoodies from your new first-choice.