tetrishead

I suspect there are going to be enrollment issues at other schools this year, especially Midwestern LACs (which are often considered safeties for people looking at NE LACs and the Ivy league).

Also, with regards to the Duke case you (or someone else you're paraphrasing from) used as an example, if a student has enrolled and backs out it's not unheard of for the school to get in contact with the other school (assuming the person is stupid enough to tell Duke where they're going). I was warned of this, and I had an incredibly awkward situation where a school wanted me to break ED with Grinnell to go to them, and they said that schools revoke admission based on people breaking ED but they wouldn't (obviously).

I noticed it in a thread a few days ago about people sending deposits to multiple schools, but if you're doing binding ED at a school and back out for a reason that is not financial it's not unheard of for schools to get in contact with other schools, resulting in the school you were going to go to revoking their offer of admission. Now, breaking binding ED isn't the same as sending a deposit for enrollment since you're not signing a contract (a pretty much unenforcable contract, though), but it's probably worse. Admissions is pretty incestuous, everyone knows everyone else in my experience.

Are you really sure you want to wait until June or July when you'll be past deadlines at other schools yourself?

OniLawliet

Yeah tetrishead, I'm pretty sure. I've mailed a deposit to ConnColl and will attend in the fall of 2008. If Grinnell comes through and admits me in July, then great, I will tell ConnColl that I have been admitted from a waitlist at another school and have chosen to attend it. I seriously love Grinnell that much and desperately want to attend. Now, if it was in late August that Grinnell contacted me...Well...I'd have an issue.

Like I said, the admissions rep ive been in contact with said that the above scenario is possible, and continued to say that my dedicated interest in the school ensures that I will be one of the first contacted.

I'm kind of hopeful for the future. One, because I plan to attend a fine school (Connecticut College) and two, there's a chance I may be admitted to my dream school. It's a win win situation for me and I'm happy either way if Grinnell is able to admit waitlisted students or not.

tetrishead

I hope you get into Grinnell, as I suspect you care more for the school than some other applicants that were accepted (although there's always cases of that).

OniLawliet

^ I hate to sound insensitive, but I agree with that. As Uphill Battle mentions in the statement I quoted, a lot kids are likely settling for those top LACs that did manage to accept them, while waiting on a waitlist from Amherst, Williams, etc.

For example, take a brilliant, highly involved, impressive applicant from a strong high school in a suburb of Boston. He applies to essentially all of the top LACs, placing an interest in Williams, Amherst, Middlebury, etc. He finds that, come April, he has been rejected at Williams, waitlisted at Amherst, waitlisted at Midd, and accepted at Swarthmore, Pomona, and (just for fun!) Grinnell! Said student chooses Grinnell while waiting for a response from Amherst who, come mid May, admits him from their waitlist. Said student tells Grinnell that he has chosen another school, and a spot at Grinnell opens up.

The above is a very superficial, perhaps insensitive, but realistic scenario. With so much pressure to be admitted to name-brand prestigious schools, waitlists and rejections are allowing for impressive applicants to "settle" for slightly lesser known top LACs in places OUTSIDE of New England. Now, there are some who are different. A friend of mine turned down Middlebury, Swarthmore, and Stanford for Carleton, and people around him have no idea where Carleton is.

But even that is a rarity.

I really hope Grinnell somehow manages to look at their waitlist! Just out of curiosity, what do you plan on studying at Grinnell tetrishead?

tetrishead

I have no idea, although I lean towards economics, and I've long been a fan of the idea of double majoring in one thing that is pragmatic, and one thing that you enjoy purely for the study of it--which for me will probably be psychology, philosophy or history depending on the subjects and the professors.

I know what my first year schedule is going to look like (roughly), but I've just set five goals for my time at Grinnell, because I can't really have any idea what I'll concretely like: (1) GPA of 3.25+, (2) At least two internships and work on one research project in my chosen field, (3) Learning two of: French (alright at it, better writer than I am oral conversationalist), German (know very little), Mandarin (know none), (4) Spend a semester or preferably a full-year abroad (I like the idea of spending my third year at the London School of Economics, assuming I go the econ route), (5) Get better at programming (151+161+207), take math up through linear algebra at a minimum. I think if I can do these five things I'll generally have a good experience, and a good resume coming out of college. I also intend to play intercollegiate sports.

For what it's worth, I just got an e-mail telling me that I was waitlisted at Brown and they wanted an immediate response--and I didn't even know that I was waitlisted at Brown, and I kind of forgot I applied there even though I interviewed with someone who didn't speak English (which was... fascinating). Hopefully if they get to the waitlist there will be people who have already finalized their decisions and "given up," as it were.

What do you intend to study?

treeman

tetrishead -- The agreement to enroll that my daughter sent to Carleton was very explicit in stating that signing the form and sending a deposit was binding UNLESS she was accepted off of a waitlist. To be clear, the agreement to enroll explicitly recognized the right to decide to attend a waitlisted school should an opening occur. I find this a very pragmatic and refreshing policy. I suspect other schools take the same approach, even if they don't say so. And for the record ... my daughter doesn't view Carleton as a safety.

tetrishead

That's interesting. I just had a little card or something with boxes I had to check saying that I accepted the offer of admission, and I sent in a check. I don't remember any extensive agreement written on it.

I'm sure your daughter doesn't see Carleton as a safety, I just think the "field" has become more expansive. More people are applying to more prestigious schools, and if someone is already applying to Amherst and Williams and Yale and Chicago and they figure they need a couple more, they're probably likely to "throw" a couple elite Midwestern schools in there. I doubt that it's some huge problem, because I've never heard of Midwestern schools having Tufts or Yale "syndrome," but it has to be something that's growing.

And now, I just realized that I never received my finalized aid award paper that I had to sign--but the aid office has all my information, and it says that the first semester is "Paid." I have absolutely no idea what to think about this. I probably should call them, haha.

dUHH!!

Hi
i heard that Grinnell College closed its waitlist beacuse it over enrolled students this time.....has anybody actually been informed abt this frm the skool itself? I'd greatly appreciate if anyone would help me verify this info.
Thanks

OniLawliet

^I've heard that too. They're apparently rejecting deposits from students who mailed them AFTER may 1st.

But remember, like this topic says, that a lot of these kids will have been waitlisted at other schools. As the weeks play out, spots at Grinnell will come and go. All you need is some luck, hope, and realism.

dUHH!!

yes. I surely need a lott of luck ....
thanks for replying!!!

Building Wings

Yeah, I emailed them and was told that we should know around next week or so.

OniLawliet

^Ahhh, really?! They said they would know more next week???

I really hope I can get off the waitlist...

Building Wings

Yeah, I really want to get in as well.

je_ne_sais_quoi

Has anyone heard anything directly from Grinnell regarding their waiting list?

OniLawliet

I haven't, but I plan on emailing them tomorrow to get an idea of the situation.