Does the squeaky wheel get the position?

[Guest ogo]

I am on a wait list for a PhD program... Should I e-mail my graduate school, letting them know how interested I am, and how hard I will work if accepted? Or would that be insane?

[rising_star]

Why not? What've you got to lose?

[Guest ogo]

Well, a lot, actually. Suppose my application is teetering on a knife's edge between acceptance and rejection. It might annoy the committee enough to get rid of mine and accept someone else's.

Any thoughts?

[Guest daphna]

You can try, but I doubt it will be very effective.

The way I understand this whole Wait List thing (I'm also on one) they've already arranged the waiting list in the order in which they want to accept people. If enough people say they don't want to go there (as they usually accept more people than they want to take) - they will move the first person off of the list. Then the second. Then the third etc.

So basically if I understand it correctly they have already decided on the order of the wait list, and you will be offered admission automatically if enough people decline their offers (I'm not sure they even reconvene the committe. I think maybe the graduate advisor or the graduate school people take care of it automatically).

Of course I could be wrong, but this is the impression I got from the letter.

[thomasf]

Yep, sometimes they actually tell you your rank on the list, or in the overall applicant pool. As in my case.

[Guest]

Does "you are on the top of our waiting list" really mean AT the very top? Or among those at the top?

It sounds like a nit-picky question, but in this case I know that of the six positions offered in the program, one has already been turned down. I'm aware that the dept. waits until each of the six respond to go to the waitlist, so either way...

Anyone have any insight?

[rising_star]

Well, a lot, actually. Suppose my application is teetering on a knife's edge between acceptance and rejection. It might annoy the committee enough to get rid of mine and accept someone else's.

Any thoughts?

If your application were teetering on the edge, they wouldn't have notified you yet and you wouldn't be on the waitlist. Why not ask if there's anything the committee would like to see in addition to your file? Or restate your interest in the program

[Guest guest2]

I was(am) in the same situation (with Washington). I emailed the department yesterday asking if they would like an updated transcript with Fall 2005 grades, as well as a statement of courses in progress and planned research for summer 2006.

Still waiting to hear back, but I'll let you know how that goes.

[Guest ogo]

awesome, please do