If you read up the thread you will find discussion of waitlist chances and also the role of full pay in the ED rounds at Tulane. Basically, WL odds range from abysmal to fairly grim, particularly if you need $ aid. Tulane did not accept a single student off its waitlist the past three years - enrollment deposits were higher than expected and the waitlist was (and is) LONG. While Tulane has made some adjustments this year in enrollment management and, purportedly, WL length, the words of Admissions Director Jeff himself (see his blog) and related ## and realities are sobering. At this point, it won’t be so much about your stats relative to accepted students (they WL’d you and hundred or thousands of others so know you can do the work and fit in) but about their institutional needs and related factors – and they won’t know for sure about going to the WL until after May 1.
The sound advice from others on CC is to love the school that loves you, put your deposit down, and move on. If Tulane is your absolute #1 and you’re determined to hang on through June, convey those thoughts to admissions in a short letter of enthusiasm and keep a modest, realistic bit of hope, knowing the likelihood is extremely slim in today’s competitive admissions climate. Sorry to sound discouraging. We’ve been through it - tough stuff.