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^That happened to me at Johns Hopkins back in the 04-05 application cycle. My high school’s guidance counselor was well connected so he would call schools a few days before the decisions came out to find out who was in/who wasn’t. My JHU thing came - I was wait listed. He had a policy that we call him as soon as results came in so I did, told him everything, thought nothing of the JHU wait list but he made me repeat that one, asked me if I was sure, then told me he would call me back and hung up. I was totally confused. He later tells me that he had been told a few days earlier that I was accepted but that someone the day before the letters went out decided that there were too many potential biology majors and 100 students were bumped from accepted to wait list (I was obviously one of them).</p>
<p>Using his power, he was able to get them to offer me an acceptance but it was under the condition that I commit to hopkins - no waiting on my other wait lists. Brown was one of those wait lists and in his finding out where people got in they told him I was wait listed but to “not give up on Brown.” Decided to turn down JHU for the chance at Brown. I had acceptances at WUSTL and Emory, but if I had been sitting there with no acceptances I absolutely would have taken the offer. My parents told me after the fact that they would never have made the decision I did but obviously I’m super glad I did!</p>