Waitlist Thread

[Dwar]

Hey Guys,

Figured I'd start this thread to talk about waitlists and for those of us on them, and to just generally chat about them. 

I have gotten all of my decisions back and currently am on two waitlists, all of the rest either being rejections or unfunded offers.

When I started this I whole thing I thought the wait would be over by spring break (a week away), boy was I wrong.

Edited February 25, 2019 by Dwar

[Corsette]

Of my 22 applications, I have 2 acceptances, 2 acceptances with funding to be determined still, 4 waitlists, 9 rejections, and 4 pending. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by Corsette

[Dwar]

36 minutes ago, Corsette said:

Of my 22 applications

Oh wow, thats a lot of applications. Congrats on the acceptances though! 

 

36 minutes ago, Corsette said:

4 waitlists

Have you contacted the DGS of the schools you've been waitlisted at? Or have you just been waiting in silence? 

Edited February 25, 2019 by Dwar

[Corsette]

12 minutes ago, Dwar said:

Oh wow, thats a lot of applications. Congrats on the acceptances though! 

 

Have you contacted the DGS of the schools you've been waitlisted at? Or have you just been waiting in silence? 

Thank you. It was a strategic move based on the advice of my advisors, an all in approach. The two acceptances have programs ranked higher than my waitlists, but I understand the value in fit, especially with my peculiar nature. I've sent out emails to 3/4, getting ready to write up the 4th. One of the 4 offered a Chancellor's Award, but still waitlisted for assistantship. 

[Dwar]

9 minutes ago, Corsette said:

ne of the 4 offered a Chancellor's Award, but still waitlisted for assistantship. 

Congrats on that!

I am honestly trying to contain my urge to email them every day and ask for an update, the wait is killing me. My plan is to email the second program a follow up email two weeks after the initial contact, so in about a week or so. But gosh this wait is painful, honestly part of me would have preferred a rejection over the purgatory that is waitlists. 

[Corsette]

8 minutes ago, Dwar said:

Congrats on that!

I am honestly trying to contain my urge to email them every day and ask for an update, the wait is killing me. My plan is to email the second program a follow up email two weeks after the initial contact, so in about a week or so. But gosh this wait is painful, honestly part of me would have preferred a rejection over the purgatory that is waitlists. 

The whole process is emotionally draining, but it prepares you for what's ahead. I'm excited, but I can openly admit to having existential crises and venting to the graduate students at my current university. I'm really really thankful I've had them to vent to and grant extra support during all this. 

 

[Dwar]

1 hour ago, Corsette said:

I'm really really thankful I've had them to vent to and grant extra support during all this.

Thats awesome! and ya, this is super emotionally draining. Honestly I am dreading having to do it over again next cycle if neither of the two waitlists pan out.  

[CoffeeMonster0]

Currently waitlisted for funding, so I'm in a similar boat.  Best of luck to everyone! 

[yubs89]

Really hope that there will be some changes to the waitlists after the visit days...

[Dwar]

5 minutes ago, yubs89 said:

Really hope that there will be some changes to the waitlists after the visit days...

Is that generally when it would happen? Also, are most visit days in March or February? 

[yubs89]

5 minutes ago, Dwar said:

Is that generally when it would happen? Also, are most visit days in March or February? 

I think many people tend to hold on to their acceptances until the visit days (or open houses). I'm sure some of them will decline their offers afterward. I'm currently waitlisted at one of my top choices. I already contacted a related faculty member there and he told me to wait it out until late March to early April, as what I have mentioned above is often the case. He also told me that he believes there will be some changes to the whole waitlist situation one way or another by then. By the way, when you contact someone to ask about the waitlist, you should ask whether it is ranked or not first. Moreover, if so and possible, you should ask about your ranking. Fortunately, I was told that I'm "high on the list." Fingers crossed!!!

[Dwar]

29 minutes ago, yubs89 said:

By the way, when you contact someone to ask about the waitlist, you should ask whether it is ranked or not first. Moreover, if so and possible, you should ask about your ranking.

oooooo, thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to ask when I reach back out!

also, how long would you recommend I wait to reach out to the DGS? I was contacted about the waitlist last week, I am thinking to wait until Monday (a week from now) to reach out and ask some questions about it. Do you think that timeline works? should I contact him sooner or later?

I am just super inexperienced with this and the school is my top choice, so I'd hate to do anything to screw it up, but at the same time I am so anxious for information it is killing me. 

[yubs89]

18 minutes ago, Dwar said:

oooooo, thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to ask when I reach back out!

also, how long would you recommend I wait to reach out to the DGS? I was contacted about the waitlist last week, I am thinking to wait until Monday (a week from now) to reach out and ask some questions about it. Do you think that timeline works? should I contact him sooner or later?

I am just super inexperienced with this and the school is my top choice, so I'd hate to do anything to screw it up, but at the same time I am so anxious for information it is killing me. 

I'm not an expert neither, but I don't think timing really matters here. If I were you, I would contact DGS (or even graduate coordinator) late this week!

[Dwar]

Just now, yubs89 said:

I'm not an expert neither, but I don't think timing really matters here. If I were you, I would contact DGS (or even graduate coordinator) late this week!

Thanks for the advice! I’ll be sure to do that!!

[Leo_gstspl]

Thanks for the thread! In one of my two waitlist letters, it says "Although I cannot make any guarantees, based on our historical experience it is quite possible that ultimately you will be admitted to our program." So does anyone know if this is an optimistic indicator or they were just being polite? Really anxious because it's one of my top choices... But I guess it will take many many days to know the final results...

[Bosco]

I am being waitlisted at three schools and waitlisted for funding for another one. They are all better than my available options. Finger crossed....

[Dwar]

7 hours ago, Leo_gstspl said:

Thanks for the thread! In one of my two waitlist letters, it says "Although I cannot make any guarantees, based on our historical experience it is quite possible that ultimately you will be admitted to our program." So does anyone know if this is an optimistic indicator or they were just being polite? Really anxious because it's one of my top choices... But I guess it will take many many days to know the final results...

One way to check would be to look at the results page and see if people get in off the waitlist there. But remember, the results page may either under or over represent so don’t fret if you don’t see any. 

To be honest, I think that waitlists are just as much of a crapshoot as the normal application process. So the DGS very well could just be polite and stringing you along, or they could actually use the waitlist rather frequently. It seems like waitlists all have their own rules depending on the school they are in.

[Leo_gstspl]

14 minutes ago, Dwar said:

One way to check would be to look at the results page and see if people get in off the waitlist there. But remember, the results page may either under or over represent so don’t fret if you don’t see any. 

To be honest, I think that waitlists are just as much of a crapshoot as the normal application process. So the DGS very well could just be polite and stringing you along, or they could actually use the waitlist rather frequently. It seems like waitlists all have their own rules depending on the school they are in.

Thanks very much for your response. You're absolutely right about the under-representativeness of the results page and I found people just stop updating their waitlist information after the first round of admission in Feb. So it's probably best for me to stop thinking about it and just wait. Wish you good luck!

[Dwar]

41 minutes ago, Leo_gstspl said:

Thanks very much for your response. You're absolutely right about the under-representativeness of the results page and I found people just stop updating their waitlist information after the first round of admission in Feb. So it's probably best for me to stop thinking about it and just wait. Wish you good luck!

lol thanks right back at ya! and lord knows I am trying the same. but let me tell you it isn't easy 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Dwar

[deutsch1997bw]

I was on the waitlist for CP at UNC last year, and I did not find out about my status until April 14. I, too, was told that, based on previous years, I had a good chance of being admitted. I was ultimately not accepted.