modesteffect

you def should contact them to express your interest. WL is moving usually fast; they won't give sufficient time to consider offers as prior admits.

PROFILE:Type of Undergrad Institution: InternationalMajor(s)/Minor(s): Computer ScienceUndergrad GPA: 3.5Type of Grad: International (MPA, MA in Political Science, MSc in Computer Science)Grad GPA: 3.8GRE: 159V/169Q/4.5AWAny Special Courses: Some methods coursesLetters of Recommendation: 3 LORs; 1st writer my MPA prof teaching quant; 2nd writer a well known prof in the field; 3rd writer a well known prof in the fieldTeaching/Research Experience: A few RAsOther: worked in the tech industry as an engineer for a few yearsRESULTS:Acceptances: Harvard (off waitlist), Princeton (off waitlist), UCSD (off waitlist), Penn, SAIS, NYU (MA), Rochester (MA)Rejections: All else out of 17Pending: Georgetown (waitlist)Attending: HarvardLESSONS LEARNED: I will try to be short. 1) for GRE, enough is good. After the cutoff first round, it's no longer used. I am guessing 155V, 160Q for non-native speakers. GPA is not important. You don't need to have near perfect 4.0. 3.6-3.8 should be good enough. 2) if you are an old applicant, dont get discouraged. Pursue your dream. I am already 30 after years of work. I switched to polisci from engineering literally in late 2020 but I was driven by interest and passion. But being old does bring you some disadvatanges: one of my poi at Harvard told me that committee likes my experience but may hesitate because of non-typical profiles. As they pick more safe profiles first, this explains my non-typical result of so many waitlists. But yeah I eventually get into schools like UCSD, Harvard, Princeton and Penn. 3) Fit matters. Schools that either admits me or put me on a waitlist have more than 3 profs doing what I want to do. 4) Showing your research capabilities is important: this can be from RA, writing sample, SOP, work experience, etc. 5) My SoP focused on my experience rather than research topics. I later realize it may be a mistake and could explain only 2/17 schools sent me straight offers. 6) Don't lose hope in Feb/March, especially if you are on some waitlists. I got off three waitlists on April 14, 15 and 16. There are lots of movements during the last period.

Thanks it’s polisci

Just declined the Princeton offer. Hope someone can get off the waitlist! It's so great and my reason is personal rather than academic.

At this point, there is no harm sending it again

Yeah, all same

Got off waitlist by Princeton... on 4.16...

It likely means they are choosing 1 from >1 waitlists, otherwise they would directly send you an offer

Just got extended waitlist offers by Harvard and UCSD… anybody got off waitlist at Princeton? Good luck to all! There will be lots of movements these two days. Fingers crossed for everyone and never lose hope!

You don’t need a written release, but you need to let school know

The new 4.15 agreement says waitlist offer post-4.15 can override the previously accepted offer without asking for release.

wl is tricky, depending on schools. some schools intend to recruit 15, so they send out 25 offers; but some just send out 15.

Yeah just got their response yesterday. They put me on MA admission...

ECHO. Let's not wait until the last day of Apirl 15 ? One day will not make any difference.

NYU is the last school i havent heard back anything. but whatsoever...