Certainly no one likes disappointment, but it is a part of life. And the advice to students accepting spots on any WL, as @DadTwoGirls said, to focus on other opportunities, is wise, and what students would (IMO) and should do. But there is no harm in staying on a WL, especially if it’s a school the student would go to even if accepted at the last minute. Most students who stay on the list move on, and in fact most of those I know who were ultimately offered an admission from a WL had already financially and psychologically committed elsewhere. But like @DadTwoGirls, I have known students to accept a late admission off a WL.
The numbers in the SF Chronicle above showed that 82% of students who accepted a spot on the UCSB WL were admitted. That’s HUGE. This past year it was 53% per their CDS:
25713 offered WL spot
18022 accepted WL spot
9603 admitted off WL
Their initial admission rate was around 38% this past year, so chances of admission off the WL was higher than the initial admissions rate.
Certainly WL movement varies from school to school and year to year, and any student placed on a WL should hedge their bets and accept a choice from admission offers they receive while taking a WL spot if they so choose (no harm, no foul).
Bottom line, and perhaps its semantics, but an important distinction to the minds and emotions of young adults - a WL is NOT a denial or rejection. IMO that terminology is incorrect. It’s a “we think your stats are good enough for an admission, but we have offered others with similar (or better) stats, or who we deem a better fit for our incoming class, spots first. If spots open up after acceptances are made, we may offer you a spot.” A student can choose to hold on, but not necessarily hold out hope. JMO.