<p>mazewanderer, I would strongly suggest that you and your waitlisted student <em>do</em> visit Stanford when you are in the area. Sure, it will likely inspire lots of Stanford-lust, but if your student has not even visited the school, he will benefit greatly from having a first-hand look and the opportunity to ask questions about his fields of interest (Stanford has amazing depth and research opportunities in all computational fields, and lots of interdisciplinary options, including student-designed options.) Another benefit that might be derived from a visit is the discovery of some particular synergy between Stanford and your student that he could perhaps address in a supplemental letter to the admissions committee. I really think it takes a visit for a prospective student to intelligently assess where he is most likely to thrive over the next four years.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>