CWRU Waitlist FAQs

Anyone thinking of taking the Delayed Freshman Option?

Four of my DS’s HS classmates got WL’d by CW - they all got news this afternoon - three ā€œdeniedā€ and one got the email w/the gap year option for class of 2023. Sounds like CW will use the WL minimally this year, it must be the higher than expected yield for class of 2022.

From an objective case study on admissions, I can’t wait to find out what Case’s acceptance rate and yield is for this class.

Housing might be tight for freshmen this year…

I got the 2023 year offer as well. I didn’t send a LOCI, so I’m actually quite shocked they offered me anything. I’m a year younger than most of my peers, I got a nice scholarship, and I do like CWRU, so I’ll have to give this a good bit of thought.

I wonder if they are going to honor the mock financial aid packages for those who start in 2019. or perhaps will honor the merit scholarships and rework grants based on next year’s fafsa.

@EmZoWe Doing an exchange year abroad would be a perfect thing to do as a gap year if you are on the young side.

@Winky1 and others.. we got same email and glad we committed to Northwestern rather than playing this hide and seek..My son withdrawn..Hopefully he works hard enough to get into NUPSP at end of 2nd year UG.

Harvard offers this required gap year to a small number of students, the so called z-list. But that’s Harvard!

@bopper I’m thinking that too! I can’t see myself studying abroad in college and I would love to spend a few free months on research. It’d also be nice to be one of the oldest for a change.

What’s up, @tomsrofboston ? :slight_smile:

@Winky1 Just observing another permutation on the admissions game. :-B

I’ve named it the Delayed Freshman Option, like it @TomSrOfBoston ? hahaha

and for this gap year, they want your $500 now, you can’t go to school nor apply for any other school.

^^I thought it is common for gap year.
I don’t think it is unique for CWRU

hi, @annamom. I have heard of Guaranteed Transfers, but I, personally, have not heard of a school offering a gap year with the stipulation that no for-credit classes are taken. @TomSrOfBoston said that Harvard does this for a small number of applicants. Where have you heard of this?

@ambkeegan , I saw that too! $500 deposit, commitment to Case for 2019, forbidden to apply elsewhere.

@Winky1 @annamom
https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2010/3/30/students-year-harvard-zlist/
ā€œZ-Listed Students Experience Year Offā€- Harvard
ā€œBut Fitzsimmions admits that many find this system illogical, since the 30 to 50 beds that would be needed to house Z-listers in the entering class are the same beds being filled by last year’s Z-listers.ā€

I have to say that I am dismayed by the trend to offer spring admit only by some colleges, and this new one year gap plan is terrible. I am surprised CWRU is offering that. I don’t understand it at all. Its NOT a good plan for most students to take a gap year. It could lead to not attending college at all, I have seen that in about three or four cases so I never advise anyone to take a gap year. I cannot believe CWRU is advising that to WAIT LIST candidates, thats terrible! Wait list candidates have put money to hold a real spot at another college. Moving on from CWRU is
possible! Focus on the college your child got into and you already payed to hold the spot!

I totally regret advising my older son to get on two waitlists. It resulted in a reject in July after his senior year and
an acceptance on May 4, of his senior year, to a school totally out of our price range. I did not know what I was doing and told my younger son say NO to all waitlist offers. And he did and had a much better 12th grade year by saying NO. .

SAY NO TO FORCED GAP YEARS! How can a college have the audacity to tell a student–take a year off and just suck mom and dad for another year of living. Its wrong.

Fascinating, @TomSrOfBoston . Thank you very much for posting this article. I think it’ll be very helpful to students who want to consider starting in 2019. Or who are willing to at least consider it.

But it’s not really a Z List as defined in the article because those who received the email can also opt to just stay on the normal WL for 2018. So they seem to anticipate some WL acceptances at Case, just not as many as they’ve accepted previously.

Olin College offers this option and they discussed it at the information session when we visited. Quite a few CWRU engineering students applied to Olin which is a very small, very selective school in the Boston area. I think my S would have strongly considered that if Olin had accepted him as a gap year candidate.

@Coloradomama It is not a forced gap year. It is a choice. I have seen some kids take a gap year and have incredible experiences that brought them to school the next year as more mature, focused and disciplined students. It’s not for everyone, but it could be the right choice for some students.