I’m pretty sure ILR does not use a waiting list. Do you have different information?
No. That’s not why they have GT. It’s a business model. Additional spots always open up in the school (junior studying abroad or in DC,), so there’s additional “space” in the school for use of resources. Also, the students who are offered GT usually have SAT/ACT scores a little below the average. By not taking them freshman year, ILR does not have to include their scores, which would reduce the school’s average.
@brantly - Thank you very much - really appreciate your effort to provide information. Yes, my son was just waitlisted to ILR - his SAT scores are above average 2250 , 800 Reading, 750 Writing and 700 Math (yes Math a little low), also a 33 on ACT, one sitting for both…I am confused because it would seem the waitlisted student is ‘more qualified’ than GT because if a spot opened on waitlist they would take the student immediately, while the GT student, as you point out, they don’t want their SAT scores in stats and prefer as sophomores rather than freshmen…So if a spot doesn’t open on waitlist, would the student be offered a GT or a transfer option? Otherwise it really is an exploitation of a student…scores good enough for waitlist, but school not willing to commit GT spot to them…Something is wrong with the logic…
Your mistake is in thinking that there is a logic that you can understand. It’s college admissions. They don’t line up the applicants in order of GPA/SAT/ACT scores then take the top batch. Scores and achievements are just one of many moving parts when it comes to admissions. You know that it’s holistic admissions.
One of the most important factors for ILR is INTEREST and FIT. Your questioning of his admission decision leads me to believe that you did not know this. The reason elite colleges wait-list students is to protect their yield. If they are not well-enough convinced that the applicant will attend if admitted, then it’s straight to the waitlist.
Complaining about it or lamenting the logic of it all is unproductive. The ONLY thing your son can do right now is to write a love letter to the admissions office. It should state (if true) that if he is admitted he will definitely attend. Also, f there are any new activities or awards from the past few months that are relevant, he should include that in the letter.
Yes I do understand the concept particularly of interest and fit and especially for ILR. And in the case of ILR, his application was lined up beautifully to both…I do appreciate your feedback, but I am not questioning the admission decision. I appreciate that college admissions did what they deemed best…What I am questioning is the use of waitlists versus GTs. What is the point of having a waitlist - wouldn’t it be sufficient to pluck kids off the GT list if a spot opens up? I can only reason in the case of Cornell ILR, that if there was enough spots it would have been given to the waitlisted students and they are holding on to them by putting them on a waitlist in the event a spot opens up. If this is true, then all I am asking is wouldn’t they at least be extended the GT option if a spot doesn’t open up? I am not complaining nor actually even lamenting — I just don’t want my son further exploited by a practice that does not seem even remotely fair or logical (assuming he isn’t given that option eventually)…I would rather him come out of purgatory and move on if there is no light at the end of the tunnel…If you are a parent, I am sure you understand…Thank you.
Apologies, @Beyondhope , I was merely reacting to your handle, which would seem to indicate that you are “beyond hope”. With your son’s academic abilities (as judged from those test scores), I am sure he will do well no matter where he goes. So, in the end, don’t take it too seriously. I hope he doesn’t…
All this Education is also a Business, and I surmise it is “Caveat Emptor” - a funny way to look at things in terms of this “Ivy League”. Beware of feeling bad about how we are treated by Institutions of Higher Learning.
As for Big Pharma - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Pharma_conspiracy_theory - “they” can prescribe “Abilfy” or any of their other big-money-makers for the sort of anxiety that arises from all this craziness. My advice would be to attain blissful ignorance and avoid that PsyOp.
I would have to agree with @brantly about the “INTEREST and FIT” part. Our daughter’s scores were a bit below what they “say” they want, but her essay was simple and quite brilliant (spoken as the father who read it, mind you).
A real option your son does have would be to transfer in: https://admissions.cornell.edu/transfers-cornell.
Good Luck, again!
I graduated from a SUNY school long ago and that 5 years after I dropped out after 3 semesters… I did eventually get 2 “useless” degrees (Philosophy and History 3.81 GPA) and am sometimes hounded by Phi Beta Kappa - and thus the attempts at humor!
Thanks for decoding…I am sure your daughter’s essay was simple and quite brilliant, but my son’s was nothing short of that either. We even had a family friend who use to be a Princeton admission counselor read it and he confirmed the fit and overall application was perfect…I think it truly comes down to having more kids that are highly qualified than they can accept. I get that and I am fine with it, I really just wanted to know the difference between being waitlisted and offered GT from the admission’s perspective and whether a waitlisted student, if a spot is not found, is eventually offered a GT. If not, my question remains - why?
“I think it truly comes down to having more kids that are highly qualified than they can accept”
Obviously, this is the central problem, but trying to make sense of how the different schools handle their embarrassment of riches (top students who want to go there) is a fool’s errand.
However, as @brantly has insightfully observed, College Admissions is a business, and like it or not the USNWR rankings matter to both the colleges and their consumers. This means issues that impact rankings, such as yield (the % of those admitted who matriculate) and the academic stats of the admitted class really matter.
With that said, the waitlist (WL) and guaranteed transfer (GT) serve different, almost unrelated purposes.
For example, the WL can be used for RD applicants whose applications look so good, one might guess they are top HYPS candidates. Cornell may not want to use a place in the incoming class for someone who may quickly turn them down in favor of Stanford (or others). If one of this type of WL recipients writes a love letter to Admissions in early April, their chances increase. The WL can be a wonderful yield management tool for an admissions office. Locking in yield is why so many schools are filling a growing percentage of their incoming classes using ED.
The WL can also inspire families of development/legacy candidates to show how much they care.
If you do not think these are valid WL considerations, you are being naïve.
At the same time, GT can be a completely different animal.
In many of these cases, admissions may have some question about the overall maturity of the candidate, or their ability to handle the academic load in a more independent environment (1st time living away from home).
Rather than give up a coveted spot to someone who may not yet be ready for college, or whose stats are quickly improving, but aren’t quite Ivy level, why not give the applicant one more year to prove themselves (on someone else’s dime)? From Cornell’s perspective, there is always some “melt” sophomore year (kids taking a year off or abroad) so they always have some capacity to add sophomores which helps to keep their revenues predictable/stable.
Personally, I feel the WL and GT options are wonderful options for those who want to keep their Cornell admissions dreams alive. Kids do get in with both programs every year. However, if you feel your son is being exploited, perhaps the glass is half empty for you.
Anyway, I think you may be thinking about the admissions process too linearly, and posting the same question on multiple Cornell threads may not inspire a lot sympathy for your situation. As this is the Cornell ED discussion thread, is this the best place for you to rant?
Not ranting and being new to the boards I simply posted in numerous places in the hopes my question would be answered. Honestly it still hasn’t been at least my original question which was if anyone knew whether a waitlist would eventually yield a GT if no spot opened up. I do apologize, didn’t mean to misuse the boards and I appreciate your comments. Your post is very insightful…may I ask one more question isn’t the WL also used because while the candidate met the criteria, there were stronger students to admit. My sons stats are good and he has done some great things, but they must have known for the IVYs he would have been thrilled to get one yes instead of 2 waitlists and 1 rejection. I understand less competitive schools using this strategy, but not the IVYs and in his particular case, but maybe I am wrong…Anyway, thanks again - I hope I didn’t offend anyone.
As someone said above, it’s a fool’s errand to try to nail down the exact reason. Where did he get in?
Thanks…honestly doesn’t matter where he got in, they weren’t his first choices…thanks again and sorry if I used the boards incorrectly…just want to double check do you know whether your answer to number 1 is fact or are you speculating? There were several posts in the past, one specifically from a student, who waited on the waitlist, didn’t get a spot and then was offered a GT or TO spot to one of Cornell’s contract schools…just wondering whether that changed.
Unless the system is changing this year, the system has always been that all GTs are offered on Ivy day. YOu might be thinking of a WL to spring admit offer in Human Ecology. ILR does not do spring admits.
Most people whose first choice is an Ivy League school do not get their first choice.
No - if you look under the thread for class of 2020 waitlists to Cornell…there is a post from Lyannastark on 7/3/16 she was on waitlist, was waiting to hear final result and then was offered a TO…I can pull other posts from the past that say the same thing…is your information fact or speculation???
anyway no worries, I will just call Cornell tomorrow and find out definitely…thanks, appreciate your effort in responding to my question…
@brantly - I found this post from 2013 – it refers to ILR…the student posting had this experience. All my posts were meant to validate the claims I was reading, didn’t think I would be given so much conjecture…
“If you do get waitlisted and aren’t accepted off the waitlist for the year you applied, you’re automatically given a GT option. There is still an app process, but it’s not as thorough and time-consuming as a regular transfer process.”
Have any class of 2021 ED students who sent in deposits received emails about attending Cornell Days yet?
Also have any 2021 ED students received an email with student ID’s to start to do list? (looks like the second should come out on April 5 - but figured I would ask.
Deferred early but got in regular!! So excited
@brantly this may not be the slightest bit helpful to you but I was waitlisted at Cornell 30 years ago and then got that sophomore guaranteed transfer offer…just thought I’d chime in. But I’m sure the other posters know more than me, but since it actually happened to me, I thought I would speak up. Good luck!
Question(s):
I am an international student who go to school in Georgia.
I do not have a license.
I have a lot of stuff.
What are some ways of getting my stuff to Cornell? What will the dorm be open for move in?
Excuse me if this is the wrong place to ask this question. Is there an admitted students thread?
Thanks in advance!!
What is “TO” ? I can’t find the full form of TO anywhere on this site… 
@cheesefrom1999 TO is Guaranteed Transfer Option which is an alternative pathway to Cornell Admission. An offer of guaranteed transfer option assures admission after completing 1 year of college elsewhere if certain courses are successfully completed.