So I just got waitlisted at UMich, but one of my friends got accepted in the early action round to the College of Engineering. I applied for CoE too. We go to the same high school, OOS, but she committed to another college. Does that mean there’s automatically a spot for me on the waitlist? We didn’t go for the same engineering major, but I know that all first-years are admitted into the same program.
Should I email my regional admissions officer?
Thanks
*edit - I’m already on the waitlist, I meant, is there a spot for me in that college potentially?
No.
Not about your classmate not attending and that spot being earmarked for you. You can send a LOCI/extra materials thru whatever means Michigan has requested.
Get excited about the school that you will deposit/enroll at by May 1. Put any waitlists on the backburner. Hope for the best, prepare that you won’t be accepted off any waitlists.
Ditto. Another student’s decision to enroll elsewhere will not influence your spot on a WL. Some schools have long waitlist and go deep into them. Some schools have long waitlists and barely touch them. It varies from year to year. Check to see if the schools you are waitlisted on accept a letter of continued interest or any updated information about additional honors awards, etc. Definitely accept another admission to enroll, but there is no harm in staying on a waitlist. There are several excellent threads here on CC about waitlists. You are being told that while they feel your application qualifies for acceptance, they cannot offer you a spot at this time. See it as a positive acknowledgment from the school. It is not a rejection.
Every school has a yield. I don’t know Michigan COE’s yield but last year 47% accepted their offer. Presumably a higher percentage picked in state and less OOS given the cost. They don’t break that out either.
So they expect declines. So just because someone turns them down doesn’t mean a spot opens up.
But they may guess wrong so they waitlist kids. They have not accepted you. People get mad I say it but in truth they have rejected you but are using you as a hedge in case they erred in guessing who will come at each school.
So in the 2024-25 CDS, they show they initially accepted 15373, of which 7278 accepted.
How many did they WL ? 24804 or one if every four students that applied - think about that. They WL far more than they accept - so they are using your emotions for their benefit. Yea nearly 1k came off. No all didn’t attend. They likely had to go that deep to get enough to accept to fill their holes, however many they had. Their yield is likely low on the WL. And you don’t know which holes they filled - i.e which college had room.
So there’s nothing to do here. And your logic is wrong. They expect declines, especially from those needing to pay $85k.
So fall in love with your top choice amongst acceptances. Get to the point that if somehow a WL does come through that you are so happy with where you are attending that you decline the offer.
Good luck.
Each admitted applicant who resembles you in admission profile who goes elsewhere does increase the chance of waitlist admission for you, but whether waitlist admission (if any) gets to you depends more on the aggregate non-matriculation of admits who resemble you than any one individual.