Putting aside that a data set of 2 is not statistically significant, correlation does not imply causation.
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I get that my point is reaching out to contacts can help. And I canât believe I know of the only two kids that ever got into a BS off a waitlist because of some connection.
Regardless, the advice that an applicant should harass random teachers and coaches to advocate for their admission (which is how readers will interpret the advice) shows blatant inconsideration for the schoolâs employees and will generally be ineffective.
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Never said to reach out to random teachers or coaches. I talked about contacts thatâs a different thing and a valid path. As for coaches, if you already have a relationship then thatâs also fair game. I know more than a few kids that got off the waitlist because they kept the coaches theyâve talked with during the process aware that they were still interested.
Thereâs a third important bucket:
We simply donât have enough spots for qualified applicants. We donât know exactly which kids we will yield in March/April/May/Summer among certain categories (music, dance, specific sports team, Speech & Debate, â10th grade girl/boarding/full-pay/outside New Englandâ) so we would like the ability to call a qualified and still interested candidate on our Waitlist that would fill our specific need.
Adding a note to waitlisted kids: while applying, you did not have to clearly indicate a school âwas your first and only choiceâ. This is unrealistic, and most admissions departments recognize this. Boarding schools understand that strong applicants may have choices, and will still try and yield these kids without necessarily waitlisting them.
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If you reread what I wrote, it was that letters of recommendation from alumni during the regular admissions process carry little weight. Letters from Trustees will not get a kid in, who wouldnât otherwise be admitted, either.
Connections, though, absolutely can help. Maybe more during any jockeying that can occur wrt waitlists. If, as in my earlier example, the school needs a girl day student, and there are 5 girl day students on the waitlist, having a trustee come in strong for one could absolutely move the needle and get that particular girl day student admitted.
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We are waitlisted at Exeter, not sure whom to contact? The interview was done by a parent , we did meet someone at TSAO event. What would be the best approach to this ? My dd is a dancer but, didnât contact any coaches prior.
No, not really. If a school believes you arenât really interested, and you probably had to do something to give them that impression, they may not admit you. They want kids who want to be there. Youâd be amazed at the number of kids who let AOs know, through using the wrong school name in an essay to expressing an interest in something the school doesnât have or do, that their school isnât a top choice.
If youâre a terrific candidate, theyâll admit you â even if they know youâll have other options. Look at the number of kids who have acceptances from several schools. Surely they didnât tell every one they were a first choice.
Schools arenât afraid of being turned down (the general interpretation of yield protection), but they do need to enroll a class each fall that meets all the institutional priorities. So yes, they have to believe that youâll seriously consider an offer.
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I did those two things you mentioned to the schools I got waitlisted at lol. (Iâm not worried about it Iâm happy with the school I got, just thought it was funny).
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And it really doesnât matter. People donât always believe it, but the schools really want students who are going to thrive there. A friend who had been a HOS told me that when DS was applying, and I totally get it now.
A kid who is suffering socially canât really be their best self. A kid whose self-worth is tied up in being best may struggle emotionally. Different schools serve different kinds of kids differently. Everyone wins when the match is right, and in a residential community, there are a lot of factors to consider.
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do schools only use the waitlist after april 10th or before is possible
Before is absolutely possible. Although itâs going to be awfully close to 4/10, especially with many revisit dates being right before.
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Possible. But unlikely. Unless itâs to say they anticipate not going to the waitlist
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Occasionally before. But for a school to do this, they have to be sure they wonât be over enrolled by extending more offers.
Remember that the WL is to âright sizeâ the class in every regard, so admissions has to know they canât possibly have enough girls/boys etc. from the already admitted, not yet declined pool. Sometimes they CAN know this, particular as the deadline approaches, because of people declining. But because they admit more than they need â anticipating that a certain percent of admitted students will say no â it can take a while for everything to play out to this point.
A friendâs daughter, who was FA waitlisted was told by the coach and AO that 90% were told No immediately - then of the 10% remaining they only initially said full accept to 5% and then go from thereâŚ
This is a recruited athlete. I have no idea if this is accurate or applies to all schools. 
Agree with this. In our process (sample size of 1, so all caveats apply), we received a reach-out very close to April 10. Had to make a decision quickly without the benefit of a revisit, etc.
On April 10, the same school sent out a note saying that they were full up and not going to the wait list.
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That makes sense. 90% were in already full buckets. The ones who remain can fill needed possibly needed holes.
And yes, as noted, an offer from the WL doesnât typically come with a lot of time to make that decision. The school is offering you a chance to fill a bed, and you need to be prepared to answer quickly.
Itâs highly recommended that you only accept WL positions at schools youâd seriously consider over any where you are accepted. Itâs just messy for everyone to get involved in anything else.
Tedâs âanalysisâ was in general quite dubious, as many have already pointed out.
I would in fact argue that the WL is more or less a mirror image, on some scale, of the buckets of the admitted class. So that as enrollment decisions come in, a given school isnât caught short on any bucket.
A school would not want to find that e.g. the full pay, female, day student bucket winds up under-enrolled, and then not have full pay, female, day students on the WL to choose from as backups.
Also there are more granular buckets - star athletes, artists, math/science olympiad kids, musicians, etc. Larger schools may get that granular and make sure they have a world class tuba player on the WL in case the admitted one doesnât yield.
All of which also points to the reality that thereâs not much you can do to get in off the WL. It ultimately depends on who does not yield, and whether you are a more or less similar type. In my above example, if youâre a male, FA, boarder, youâre not getting in off the WL.
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Would like cousins that go to the school help. With them calling out to pushing my case?
No and no
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