Colleges use enrollment management tools to make budgetary plans each year and reach enrollment goals. These are helpful/necessary to gauge acceptances, fill classes, complete budgets, facilities management and space planning for classrooms, dorm space, etc. These resources are helpful for schools to do their best calculation to reach their yield goals. Waitlists are used by the schools to reach these goals for the incoming class.
Many things can affect student enrollment, and IMO this year, given the current financial/economic climate, more families may be unable to afford the tuition, room& board and fees this coming year. Add to that the likelihood that visa challenges/uncertainty may affect the international student enrollment. This is in addition to the other factors that affect “summer melt”, when some students decide to take a gap year or get off a waitlist and into another desired school. So I think many schools may go deep into their waitlists this year to fill their classes. Sometimes there can be apparent “times” (e.g when a parent cannot pay the first set of fees by the due date), though the movement across schools too can make this process fluid.
So please don’t feel that a WL spot is a “rejection” or that the school is somehow playing games in some way. That is not accurate. Yes, schools are businesses and have to meet their business goals and models, but if the school is able to find spots, or needs to fill spots to fill their class, admissions offers will be made! Good luck!