Getting off the Waitlist

[jmacnomad]

I'm so happy for you! That is great news. I think it's awesome that you, the person who started this thread for hope for the waitlisted, got into the program you wanted!

Good luck to everyone out there . See, it does happen!

Thank you! I'm very happy it worked out for me and continue to hope that it works out for everyone hanging on out there! I'm still hopeful!

[Lalaboi]

Hope lives! I too just got an offer from one of the top ranked programs in my field after being on the waitlist since February 1st! After two months of hair pulling and moping around I've now transformed into a dazed zombie that sporadically breaks into dance . So to all others on waitlist, don't give up! And to whoever gave up their spot God bless you!.

[jmacnomad]

Hope lives! I too just got an offer from one of the top ranked programs in my field after being on the waitlist since February 1st! After two months of hair pulling and moping around I've now transformed into a dazed zombie that sporadically breaks into dance . So to all others on waitlist, don't give up! And to whoever gave up their spot God bless you!.

Congrats! I'm happy to hear that you're dancing!

[Mal83]

So I'm in my office today in a cyber-meeting and suddenly my phone beeps. Since this application business has made me addicted to any sound of notification from my communication channels, of course I pick up my phone to see what's up. Low and behold, I see that "Congratulations" that I've been waiting for so long. I GOT OFF THE WAITLIST at a fantastic program that I would be thrilled to attend. I'm so very happy. Of course, I have no idea what happened in the last 15 minutes of that meeting. I think I said "Oh that's interesting" a lot while I read my acceptance and funding letters. 5 years of funding as a TA. Life is good.

Good luck to all those waiting. It certainly happens and I'm sending good karma to all.

YAY! Congratulations!!! That is awesome, to get into that program that will actually thrill you. At first I just decided to forget about it but now I'm kind of starting to fantasize a little about getting a "congrats, you're in" notice from my top choice...I would be THRILLED, it would be even more of a dream than my current acceptance. So far though I too have gotten my good news while at work. The email telling me about my "exciting letter" on the way a few weeks ago and just yesterday I got an email from the program director again welcoming me to the university and that in Summer 2012 my class will be going to Argentina for our required faculty led trip...that's probably the sweetest requirement ever....I found out all of this at work where I had to exercise restraint, I guess if I just left my electronic internet accessible devices at home I would have the news waiting for me afterward. The only thing I got at home and wasn't expecting so soon was my financial aid award letter that has "you're getting the money you need" written all over it. There was no restraint in my reaction. I'm not obsessing over the waitlist thing though, I can't do that to myself anymore, at this point, I'm just looking forward to finding out next month, it sort of feels like waiting too see if I've won the contest, it's not something that will make or break me but will be the absolute tops if it happens. CONGRATS again!!

[citizenoftheworld]

Yes I agree with anyone this is an excellent news and may your words become the relity for all of us! Once again congratulations and enjoy your Ph.D :-)

[Mal83]

I don't know about the national deadline thing, but I was placed on a waitlist on March 8th and then offered acceptance by the same school like a week later. It is probably varies depending on the school, but at least some of them notify people as space becomes available. If you don't have to deposit anything to a school right away, you can always accept an offer and then withdraw if you get accepted somewhere else. This probably isn't the best practice, but it is your future.Only do this if you would really be interested in attending if nothing else works out. you still have a few days, so try not to get too worked up as there is still time and you don't need to make any decisions just yet. You need to do what is best for you- not necessarily what is easiest for the admit board.

You may get a better reply from schools if you call and ask them how they fill open spaces, i.e. if they notify applicants as space becomes available or if they plan to contact all potential candidates at once- and soon. Try to be patient with whoever you speak with, but explain that the deadline is fast approaching and you have some important decisions to make. The person you end up talking to probably won't be able to tell you if you are being considered any more than any other wait listed applicant, but should definitely be able to tell you how they notify wait listed applicants of open positions. If he/she says that they inform people as space opens, at least you can make a more informed decision the closer it comes to April 15.

Hope this helps... Best of Luck!!

Withdraw is exactly what I'll do if I get an offer from my top choice, I already accepted my safety school's offer and I'm going through the whole process like it's a done deal because my top school said back in March that they won't let us know anything until the middle of May, by May 21st to be exact, which is beyond any deadline I know of...I also don't feel I have much of a chance so really it almost is a done deal, I guess I'm holding out a sliver of hope just because as we've all found out about this process..."ya never know." But what can you do if your top choice won't let you know until all of your other deadlines have passed? I don't necessarily feel great about withdrawing that way, but to say that you have to do what's best for you because no one else will is absolutely 100% correct. Schools deal with this kind of thing all of the time and you could have to withdraw for any number of reasons...doing what's best for you is one of them.

Edited April 9, 2011 by Mal83

[everygirl]

Bumping. Any other success stories? I'm sad.

[aikaerorasitus]

Unfortunately not a success story. I'm still really stressing out about what to do. I got wait-listed by Purdue a few weeks ago, and though they told me I should hear back by this Friday I still haven't heard anything. I'm going on a trip on Friday, and I have a few schools that are waiting for a reply by then, so I basically am going to have to make a decision by tomorrow. I think if I haven't heard anything by this afternoon I might call the contact person in my wait-list email and explain my situation. I just feel as though they probably won't be able to give me any information that will help.

[NadaJ]

No success story here either, just waiting. I have a job interview tomorrow, so that helps me have something to look forward to.

[theatrehippie]

I just found out yesterday that I am on a wait list. The silver lining is that the other school I will likely choose has a deadline of April 25, and the WL school has a deadline of April 15, so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll hear something from the WL before the deadline for my other school.

[brighteconomics]

well. I hate this situation. I got rejections from all schools except one which is my dream school. I'm on a high priority waitlst (I have no idea about "HIGH priority", I heard there are two waitlists but not sure.) and I e-mailed a couple of days ago.

The office said I'm a second of the waitlist and there is significant possiblity to be offered admission by this week, but I'm still waiting...

My lips are drying..and I don't feel like doing anything these days.. I just wanna liying on my bed and check e-mail account some times.

[jmacnomad]

So, tomorrow is D-Day for many people. Good luck! People still manage to get off the waitlist after the 15th, so keep heart if you're still waiting!

[Bison_PhD]

I 'm surprised that I didn't see this thread earlier.

First, good luck to everyone on the wait list. Second I did get off of the wait list the day before my b-day. This was my second time around and last year I was wait-listed and then rejected so I did not have much hope when I got wait-listed this year. But, people do get off the wait list and get accepted. Good Luck to you all.

[Sashide]

So, I just got waited listed at NYU Dietectics department. The deadline was feb 1st, I doubt their acceptance deadline is that late. So april 15th doesnt apply to me now, does it?

Edited April 14, 2011 by Sashide

[pulpiteer]

I'll add my (still developing) story as a ray of hope. Got my two rejections pretty soon out of the gate, and heard nothing but silence from my third. I eventually broke down and called and was told that if I hadn't received a letter by now, then I could assume I wasn't getting one. Then on Tuesday I received an email asking if I'd be in a position to consider an opening if one came available. I said yes and have been unable to do much but check email for the last three days. I checked in today and was told they are waiting on two people who have been accepted and have not responded--but they put a partially funded offer on the table for me. I'm still waiting to see how it pans out, but think positive for all of us!

Also, in the meantime, help me find the focus necessary to write the preface for my MFA thesis!

Edited April 15, 2011 by pulpiteer

[everygirl]

I'll add my (still developing) story as a ray of hope. Got my two rejections pretty soon out of the gate, and heard nothing but silence from my third. I eventually broke down and called and was told that if I hadn't received a letter by now, then I could assume I wasn't getting one. Then on Tuesday I received an email asking if I'd be in a position to consider an opening if one came available. I said yes and have been unable to do much but check email for the last three days. I checked in today and was told they are waiting on two people who have been accepted and have not responded--but they put a partially funded offer on the table for me. I'm still waiting to see how it pans out, but think positive for all of us!

Also, in the meantime, help me find the focus necessary to write the preface for my MFA thesis!

Great story! Good luck to you. Hope you make it out of this alive; I can't imagine the state I'd be in. I imagine someone having to physically sit on me.

[wings of bone]

I was waitlisted at UW-seattle for their MSW program on March 21.

Got accepted :) off of it on April 21!!!!!!

All was in email format.

I sent in my updated transcripts and another letter of ref, so I think those helped me out!

Sends yours in to help. It never hurts to try.

I feel so blessed.

NEVER LOSE YOUR HEART OR HOPE!!

Edited April 21, 2011 by wings of bone

[everygirl]

I was waitlisted at UW-seattle for their MSW program on March 21.

Got accepted :) off of it on April 21!!!!!!

All was in email format.

I sent in my updated transcripts and another letter of ref, so I think those helped me out!

Sends yours in to help. It never hurts to try.

I feel so blessed.

NEVER LOSE YOUR HEART OR HOPE!!

CONGRATULATIONS! Put a smile on my face before this long four day weekend of no emails.

[jmacnomad]

I was waitlisted at UW-seattle for their MSW program on March 21.

Got accepted :) off of it on April 21!!!!!!

All was in email format.

I sent in my updated transcripts and another letter of ref, so I think those helped me out!

Sends yours in to help. It never hurts to try.

I feel so blessed.

NEVER LOSE YOUR HEART OR HOPE!!

Great news! I'm so happy it worked out for you. I like all those smilely faces in your post. I grinned for hours the day I got off my waitlist.

[StatsNerd]

I was notified today I was wait listed for a master's program. I am 2nd on the list and was told if any of the 15 admitted students decline the offer of admission then I'm in. I think my chances are pretty good then, right? I mean, it is rare for all admitted students to accept an offer... and all I need is for two of them not to accept. *fingers crossed*

I've liked hearing all the success stories so far, keep 'em coming! And good luck to the rest of us still waiting.

[NoMoreABD]

I was wait listed for York U and only found out about it after emailing the program twice to check my status.

They said nothing about whether it's ranked or where am I on the list...

And -

Nothing on when they expect to have final decisions.

The email came on April 18. I guess there's still a long period of uncertainty for me to bare before I receive my rejection...

Sorry, didn't mean to spoil the good mood of this thread! You guys give me some hope

[Mal83]

I think I'm going to send one of those "I'm still really interested in the program" emails this week or maybe right now, I have absolutely nothing to update them on otherwise. The deadline for confirming your spot on the list was the 20th, so at least at this point no one else is getting on it. But the deadline to accept/decline offers is May 1st...so not for another few days, but I figure it's best to get in the email before they dive into the list. I have no idea what my chances are or how many are the list, but they should have a really good idea by now of how many spots they'll have...if any.

@Foreign Guy...do you know when the deadline to accept and decline offers from the first round is? Not every school is April 15. That should give you some indication at least of when they'll have to start looking at the list. My program said a while back that they won't know anything until May 1st because that's the deadline, although they did say that I would know by May 21st. But maybe in a week or two you can send another email specifically asking when they expect to get decisions out...that's what I would do just to make myself feel better.

[EnkiAnu]

@Mal83 - I sent one of those e-mails last week and got a quick response with an apology for the wait and that they would be trying to get back to everyone as soon as possible. This was how I found I was waitlisted.

I also sent another today, though on second reading of it, it was quite blunt. The admission from that university has been very unhelpful with vague answers of: 'I don't know when you'll find out, the committee are still meeting' or 'you will definitely not find out by April the 15th'. It came to the point that my POI e-mailed them to find out and I finally got an answer saying they were still deciding.

As for deadline, I think most universities (unless they state otherwise) have the deadline of April, but I have heard horror stories of them getting back to people in June. I am getting to the point where I'm highly considering withdrawing my application anyways, and moving on. 5-6 months on a waitlist with a lack of communication on their part is making me re-think it all.

Best of luck to the rest of you, I do hope you hear something back in the next couple of weeks (I think most US universities are still on easter break).

[Mal83]

@Mal83 - I sent one of those e-mails last week and got a quick response with an apology for the wait and that they would be trying to get back to everyone as soon as possible. This was how I found I was waitlisted.

I also sent another today, though on second reading of it, it was quite blunt. The admission from that university has been very unhelpful with vague answers of: 'I don't know when you'll find out, the committee are still meeting' or 'you will definitely not find out by April the 15th'. It came to the point that my POI e-mailed them to find out and I finally got an answer saying they were still deciding.

As for deadline, I think most universities (unless they state otherwise) have the deadline of April, but I have heard horror stories of them getting back to people in June. I am getting to the point where I'm highly considering withdrawing my application anyways, and moving on. 5-6 months on a waitlist with a lack of communication on their part is making me re-think it all.

Best of luck to the rest of you, I do hope you hear something back in the next couple of weeks (I think most US universities are still on easter break).

Oh no..just hold out, you've put in this much time and effort so far...they will get back to you, they have to, I've never heard of a school not sending every applicant their decision. I know the waiting blows, and if I still didn't know who knows what state I'd be in, but hang in there. Re-thinking your plans is a good idea and having a realistic back up will make the wait easier, but I wouldn't withdraw my applications...just let them do their jobs and review your application and get you a decision...you paid for them to do that.

By the way, Scotland is my dream come true...I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[spinnergal]

I will say this to anyone who is still waiting - I got wait listed at my first choice school. Not only did I get wait listed, but they didn't even tell me. I had written them off completely, thinking they had long since discarded my file. Then my now adviser called me in April and said, ok, you were my second choice, the first guy said no. Full funding for four years, here is why you should pick us, please tell us now-ish.

The moral of this story? Sometime good things take their own sweet time happening. Don't give up hope until everyone has said no.