How do I respond to a generic waitlist letter?

[sleepyface]

I was recently offered a spot on the waitlist for one of the top programs in my field. I was sent a letter from the dean of the graduate school via the application portal where I was asked to fill out either yes or no to confirm my spot. Considering that it's one of the top programs, they might not take their waitlist seriously (I can't imagine someone turning them down). But I would still like to send a thank you card to someone and show that I am interested in getting in even though the chances are highly unlikely. 

Since the letter was so impersonal, does that mean that they prefer to not be contacted? If I do send a thank you card, should I send it to the Dean or the director of the program? Both? Should I wait a couple weeks to see if the department contacts me directly? I did not initiate contact prior to applying and have had no communication with anyone there so I was pretty surprised that my application made it that far at all. 

[TakeruK]

Don't send a physical card for this. Unless this is some custom in your specific field? 

Also, top programs often do admit from waitlists because some of the people that get into a top program are likely to get into multiple top programs. So, since each person can only accept one offer, it's likely that some top programs will admit from the waitlist. After all, why would they even bother with a waitlist if they didn't want or need to use it. For example, my PhD program did not have a waitlist because they admit about twice as many people as they would want to come and usually it works out (if not, then they adjust it in the following year).

[fuzzylogician]

^Seconded. Don't send a physical card. If you really want to contact someone, you might email someone in the department (likely the graduate student coordinator) to reiterate your interest in the program and to ask when you might expect to hear more. It's not impossible to get off a waitlist even at top programs -- students with an offer will often have other good offers so they'll have to turn some down. In any event, for this kind of impersonal communication and lack of any more personalized contact, I'd probably just follow their procedure and respond online through the portal and not even email. A physical card would be over-doing it. 

[sleepyface]

Thank you! I'm glad I asked. It's not specific to my field but at my previous job, we would send thank you cards for everything so the habit stuck. I think I'll hold off on communication for now and wait to see what happens. Thanks again!

 

 

 

[Aromando]

I would email your POI or someone in the department reinstating your interest in the program and thanking them for reviewing your application. Make it short and sweet, but definitely make a point that you want to be there and are interested in their research area's. Remember, you want to stand out, and making an impression could put you higher up on the wait list or, at least, probably have your application reviewed again.

Edited February 20, 2018 by Aromando