The wait list game

[Spritely]

Has anyone here been accepted to Loyola Chicago that knows they are not going to accept the offer? I have been wait listed there and so far that's all I've got :cry:

I thought this issue might be worthy of a new thread. I applaud hadunc for trying to bring some resolution to the wait list game. I am relatively inexperienced with wait lists and am also curious what kind of a chance I have of getting in off of one of my lists. It seems like most people who got in somewhere also have at least one other offer and will therefore be letting one or more spaces open up for wait listed applicants. Has anyone had positive or negative experiences with wait lists in past applications?

In my personal experience, I have had two friends get in off of wait lists in the last two years, but maybe this year will be a little tighter with the budget crunch. I know this is all speculation, but I'm trying to find some hope for these two programs, which I prefer over the two "safety" programs I have been admitted to.

Perhaps the most relevant question: for those of you who have been accepted to multiple schools, what are you waiting on to make your decision and decline other offers? Do you intend to wait until the April 15 deadline just because you can, or are you simply waiting to receive notification from all schools to which you have applied?

I am planning to keep two options on the table until I finally accept somewhere, just in case something goes wrong with one of the offers (for instance, if they decide that they want a decision right away or don't have the funding they initially suggested). If I receive any more offers, I will decline at one of the schools so that I only have two active offers, and so on until I have heard from all my schools and wait lists. Then again, one or two programs are so great that if I get in, I may go ahead and accept the offer and decline all others.

Unfortunately, from what I have heard I expect the wait list situation to not be resolved until early or mid April. Best of luck to you other wait listers in the meantime!

[sprinkles14]

I would LOVE to be able to make a final decision, but I can't until the rest of my schools get their acts together.

I'm in at 3 schools, but only 1 has let me know about funding. I'm pretty sure I'll turn it down because the other two schools have slightly better reputations, but I can't say for sure- what if the better schools can't fund me?

And I'm still waiting to hear back from 3 more schools!

Once I do hear back, I plan to inform the schools of my decisions as soon as I can since I feel really bad for everyone on waitlists- I'm having a hard enough time waiting for an email about funding!

Good luck!

[guenevere01]

I'm pretty sure which program I want to attend, but I want to wait until I've visited to make a final decision. What if all the grad students there are really negative? What if the professors in my area are complete meanies? I'll probably end up letting one of the 3 programs on the table know I'm not attending this week.

[Spritely]

I didn't even think about visiting as as a determining factor. I guess several people are planning trips to programs where they were accepted, but it hadn't really crossed my mind (so far I have been able to distinguish between programs based on other factors).

For what it's worth: I got my Master's from U Texas and loved it there. I don't know how they're doing budget-wise but it seemed as though they always had plenty of money and funding was never a problem. The graduate cohort was large so there was plenty of room to find your niche, the professors I worked with were great, and what an amazing city.

Thanks for sharing and good luck with your decision.

[DefinitelyMaybe]

I know someone who was on the wait list of a top ranked school's master's program until two weeks before school started. They basically called said person and was like "So, do you still wanna come?"

Naturally, they took their offer.

[unspeakable]

For what it's worth: I got my Master's from U Texas and loved it there. I don't know how they're doing budget-wise but it seemed as though they always had plenty of money and funding was never a problem. The graduate cohort was large so there was plenty of room to find your niche, the professors I worked with were great, and what an amazing city.

Spritely, hush! I'm on the wait list at UT. Please tell all admitted students that it's a terrible place, and potentially haunted by the owner of the amusement park in a sea monster mask.

[draff]

I want to wait until I've visited to make a final decision.

Same thing here: I won't know where I'm going until I've made visits; but, as I know that there are folks around here who are waitlisted at each of the places that I was lucky enough to be admitted to, I can see how much a timely decision might matter. For what it's worth, visits for most places will have happened by the end of March. So April 1st might be the soonest movement anyone might see.

[Spritely]

Spritely, hush! I'm on the wait list at UT. Please tell all admitted students that it's a terrible place, and potentially haunted by the owner of the amusement park in a sea monster mask.

Well in that case I hope you get in off the wait list and love it there as much as I did!

[nicholysseus]

Hey, I feel your pain, everyone. I'm currently on three waitlists right now, any of which I would choose over my one solid offer. (I also have an unfunded MA offer, which is flattering but not very helpful.) So, I'm just loafing about until late March rolls around and I can run to the arms of my indifferent courters.

Does anyone know how long wait lists typically are? It seems as though each school does things differently.

[hadunc]

Spritely,

Are you also wait listed at Loyola? If you replied to my original post, I apologize, I just didn't feel like going back and looking for it. If so, feel free to PM me and we can agonize over our chances of getting in!

[guenevere01]

For what it's worth: I got my Master's from U Texas and loved it there. I don't know how they're doing budget-wise but it seemed as though they always had plenty of money and funding was never a problem. The graduate cohort was large so there was plenty of room to find your niche, the professors I worked with were great, and what an amazing city.

Thanks Spritely, that helps a lot - it seemed like UT had such a huge program I would get lost in the shuffle, but maybe not. Sorry to those who are waiting - I really am trying to make up my mind!!!

[nicholysseus]

The things is, it seems as though most schools break their wait list down by concentration. So, guenevere's decision only matters if you're a medievalist on the wait list for Rutgers or UT (I'm assuming that's where you stand, guenevere, what with the medieval studies application).

[Spritely]

Spritely,

Are you also wait listed at Loyola? If you replied to my original post, I apologize, I just didn't feel like going back and looking for it. If so, feel free to PM me and we can agonize over our chances of getting in!

I didn't apply to Loyola, although it was originally on my list of schools to possibly apply to. I do have some regrets this year--I wish I had not applied to some schools and instead applied to others that I originally considered (Loyola, Temple, Tufts). Live and learn. In any case, good luck with your wait lilst. I feel like the odds are good that most programs will be letting in at least one or two wait listers, as those fortunate applicants with several acceptances cannot accept every offer they received. I just wish I could fast forward to April and know one way or another about mine. I don't feel that my remaining schools will admit me, so wait lilsts are all that's up in the air.

[unspeakable]

The things is, it seems as though most schools break their wait list down by concentration. So, guenevere's decision only matters if you're a medievalist on the wait list for Rutgers or UT (I'm assuming that's where you stand, guenevere, what with the medieval studies application).

Yes, UT's wait list is done by field, so Guenevere's decision is unlikely to affect my wait list status. I suppose places with ranked wait lists must just arrange people on them with a variety of interests to avoid letting four medievalists in at once? I know it's been said before, but this whole process is crazy.

[modscealpymare]

Well gang, you've finally brought me aboard after several weeks of increasingly compulsive lurking. This is indeed a timely thread, at least for me, for after having had a rather wretched run of luck with 8 other schools, I have at last been tossed a bone from U of MN, where I am now waitlisted. Wait listed? Wait-listed. Enlisted to wait.

And waiting is what I'm doing, albeit with dwindling patience (I'm still awaiting word from one more school, but we're putting our house on the market this very week, and my longsuffering wife is wondering in what state she should begin applying for work).

The question which I submit to your collective wisdom is this: how appropriate/helpful would it be to trouble MN for information regarding just where on the list I am? Is this done? Does it matter? Does anyone else find it difficult to dismiss the faint fear that such queries merely antagonize overworked and potentially-vengeful office staff?

[Spritely]

I have at last been tossed a bone from U of MN, where I am now waitlisted. Wait listed? Wait-listed. Enlisted to wait.

This literally made me laught out loud at work.

The question which I submit to your collective wisdom is this: how appropriate/helpful would it be to trouble MN for information regarding just where on the list I am? Is this done? Does it matter? Does anyone else find it difficult to dismiss the faint fear that such queries merely antagonize overworked and potentially-vengeful office staff?

I did submit this question to a school I am wait listed at and that I am VERY interseted in attending. I had originally received an e-mail about the wait list from the DGS, so I e-mailed back asking him if it was fair to ask where I am on the wait list. He did not divulge this information, but told me that the person numerically on my spot last year was admitted. However, it does make me wonder if their wait list is also according to field of study, which makes my numerical place on the wait list relatively less important.

As with most questions, I think it is probably fair to ask if you are able to couch it in the right terms. I doubt that they will be antagonized by such a question unless you are rude about it. They realize your position, but they may not be able to give you specifics. Still, you can ask in positive terms: you are very intersted in the program (top choice?) and it would be helpful for planning ahead if you had an idea of where on the wait list you sit.

I do feel for your position. My partner will likely not move with me to the schools I currently have offers from, so I'm hoping for a bigger city school to come through where he has an opportunity to find work opportunities that would make moving a possibility. Good luck!

[EzraPoundcake]

Hi all! I'm new to the grad cafe. Can't believe I just now found this site... though I'm not sure if it would have been good for my sanity if I'd found it earlier.

While we're talking wait lists -- does anyone know anything about how WashU approaches its wait list? I've known informally since January that I was wait listed and in the official notification, the DGS said that I have a significant chance of receiving an offer by the end of March (though it seemed like it could have been a form letter?). End of March seems pretty early for getting off a wait list, doesn't it? If anyone has any insight, I'd definitely appreciate it! WashU is my top choice, so I'm really hoping it works out....

Good luck to everyone else out there on wait lists! Definitely not fun.

[Spritely]

Welcome! I also recently joined (about two weeks ago), but wish I had found this forum during my application process. I think my applications would have been stronger and I would have applied to a couple of different schools.

Per your question, I don't know specifics on WashU, but in my experience DGS are careful not to promise more than they can deliver. If you were told you have a significant chance (in writing!), I would take that to mean that you are very high on the wait list and that they typically only have a few people decline their offers. I was told by one of my wait list programs that they think I have about a 50% chance of getting in off the wait list. Since I know they try not to promise too much, even telling me I have a 50% chance seemed fairly promising. Then again, I do delude myself.

I hope your news comes soon and that you get to go to your top choice. Congrats--

[EzraPoundcake]

Thanks, Spritely! I appreciate your thoughts and definitely hope you're right that it's a good sign. Surely the DGS wouldn't tell me I have a "significant chance" if that's not actually true -- but I guess we'll see! Good luck with your apps, as well.

[sundv004]

I think I'm the only waitlisted person who was actually told by the DGS that it doesn't look good for me, but that he'll keep me posted.

[EnglishMA]

Ok, I just learned that I've been accepted at BC (for the MA program) but waitlisted for funding. The DGS said it'll be mid-April by the time he'll be able to tell me for sure about first-year funding.

My question is: I've got a funded offer at another school, but I would prefer BC. But I have to either accept or decline their offer (my only funded offer so far) by April 15, so if BC won't know if they can fund me till mid-April, what should I do? There must be other people who are/have been in this position. How do you handle it?

[Spritely]

I would wait until April 15 as you may hear by April 14 to from BC. If you haven't heard from BC by the 15th, I would go with your funded offer (if it's an otherwise acceptable program). Seems like MA funding is hard to come by (outside of creative writing, where it is almost guaranteed). FWIW, I think most of us waiting on some kind of wait list will be waiting to finalize things until April 15 when we hear from our prospective schools. Good luck!

[teaganc]

Spritely, hush! I'm on the wait list at UT. Please tell all admitted students that it's a terrible place, and potentially haunted by the owner of the amusement park in a sea monster mask.

I really hope this was, indeed, a Scooby-Doo reference.

[booksareneat]

Here's another question from one who is on multiple waitlist (always a brides maid never a bride, I guess?). I'm on two lists: one school that I am more likely to get the nod from and one that I'd love to be at. What if I get into one school and then have to wait until the crazy April 15th day to hear about the second offer? How is that time line handled?

[sonicsustain]

I'd like to encourage anyone who's been accepted to UC Santa Cruz's Literature PhD program and is certain they won't attend to please notify the department as soon as you can. I'm on the wait list and hoping to get in.

Thanks!