Just heard this topic discussed on NPR while driving home from work last Wednesday:
“College Waitlists Often Waste Would-Be Students’ Time”
As a follow-up since this thread talked a fair amount about waitlists, my daughter was offered a spot off the Lehigh waitlist today. 5 weeks ago she would have killed to see “Accepted” on the Lehigh portal when she checked it on their decision day. But in the time since then she’s done what everyone recommends and has become excited about UMD - the school where she sent her deposit. Lehigh still has some things she really likes that UMD doesn’t (a smaller size being one of the big differences). But as a family we discussed whether Lehigh was worth the extra $120k it would cost compared to UMD. We decided (although not easily) that it was not and she turned down the offer.
At this point we’ll never know why she came off the waitlist over others - I don’t believe that her guidance counselor was able to make any particularly effective plea on her behalf so I’m inclined to believe that if anything played a role here it was my alumni status. But that’s just conjecture.
So ends my second and last experience with the undergraduate college application process. It’s been an interesting and exciting ride and these forums have been invaluable in helping navigate along the way. Thanks to all who take the time to provide useful insight and guidance from their past experiences. I’ve learned a lot and will do my best to try to contribute back to this community.
Wow, congrats and all the savings! Interesting result, love that your D ended up rejecting Lehigh instead of them rejecting her.
Congrats to your D @adlgel. It is both interesting and nice she got in and it sounds like she made a great decision. Glad she is so excited about UMD – it is a wonderful school. And the price differential is a big deal. You will never know what might have happened had she got into Leigh from the start – but as things turn out Lehigh’s loss is UMD’s gain.
@adlgel Congrats to your daughter. She is clearly comfortable with her choice which is exactly what we hope for as parents. And thank you for sharing. It’s nice to hear how things turn out.
Thanks for the update. And I think that give the $120K cost differential your family has made the best decision… more financial flexibility can make a big difference down the line.
Congratulations. And your daughter eventually got to make a choice about Lehigh. Wishing her the best :)…and looking toward to an update during or freshman year.
Congrats to your D @adlgel !!
@adlgel Your daughter and your family made a wise choice in my opinion. Save that money for grad school or a car or a down payment on a new home. My son got denied at Michigan Ross (accepted into LSA) —Michigan is my alma mater—and ended up at Ohio State Fisher College of Business. We also had a $120,000 difference in cost (due to the merit aid provided by tOSU) between Michigan and Ohio State. (Even though Michigan is a state school the OOS costs are triple in-state cost and similar to private school tuition). And my son has been very happy with his choice, just as I am sure your daughter will be with hers. Best of luck!
The daughter of a good friend chose between a respected private at near-full pay and the state flagship with scholarship. It was a very, very difficult decision. In the end the student picked the public, mostly for financial reasons. To reward her for this prudent choice, the parents told her she could do a semester at Wood’s Hole. And study abroad if she wants, or an overseas trip. They still come out a good $100,000 ahead.