What are the odds of actually getting of a waitlist?

[smpalesh]

I just got notified today that I am waitlisted.  Do people actually get off of waitlists?  Obviously each program is different, I am just wondering in general if people actually get accepted off of waitlists.

[DeafAudi]

I think it depends on how many programs there are in your field. I was wait-listed last year in Canada and only 3 schools offer my program so I really had no chance. More options=more people more likely to decline their offers. You never know though, apparently the previous year they accepted everyone off of the list.

[legan]

I believe some waitlists can be ranked. If people who were accepted turn down some offers, and they have 3 spots open, I imagine they would offer those spots to their top 3 waitlist candidates.

 

Did you get a number? I was once #2 on a waitlist I was accepted from, but it was for high school. (I wound up not even going there, so...)

[smpalesh]

The email said, "Please be advised that it is not our policy to inform applicants of their position on the wait list."  So I guess I just have to wait.

 

One good point for me is this university is one of the first to notify applicants and I know a lot of people that applied to the school also applied to the same program at a number of other schools so hopefully in the next few weeks those people will turn down their spot.  Well, I can dream anyways...

[megshoe]

It's a shame they don't let you know where you are on the waiting list... But I guess it's a lot less stressful for the uni in the long run. It's probably better just to write the waitlist university off in your mind. All you can do is be happily surprised! I generally take "wait-listed," as "probably not." As a previous poster said, if the school isn't terribly prestigious, or there's lots of options in your field, your chances will most likely be higher as applicants opt for other programs.

[PsychGradHopeful14]

I agree with the above.  If you are wait listed, the best you can do is write it off and start considering other schools with which you are still waiting to hear from or have offered you admission.  You should not engross yourself with worry over whether or not you will be pulled off of that wait list.  Avoid being hung up over one specific school even if it is your top choice; you can hold on to an offer and wait to see what happens with your top choice but be ready to go elsewhere if it seems like it will not work out.

 

Generally, if you are an alternate, it does mean that the program is still very interested in you and considers you someone they would be happy to admit, but due to spot limitations they make offers to their top choice candidates first.  If they were not willing to admit you, you wouldn't be an alternate (people do get rejected post-interview often).  That being said, this is something to remember while you are forced to sit on your hands.

 

If you are offered admission somewhere, it is nothing to shake a stick at and you should be excited about this.  However, I am no stranger to wait lists and have been globally wait listed in two application cycles.  Last year the number of wait lists I was on was half of what I am on this year but the real question is does that increase your chances?  It's hard to say.  Each one is mutually exclusive and you would have better luck asking a Magic 8-ball about your chances since it is based on the decisions of those with the offers.  I think ultimately it is best to hold out to see if you get any first-round offers but as you are informed that you are listed as an alternate, just thank them for the update, restate your interest should an opportunity present itself, and find something to do to occupy your time.  Last year I had one school tell me the spot was filled within a week of informing me of my status as an alternate, and another one dragged out for six weeks.  Find a hobby, stop checking your email after 5 and on weekends so you don't drive yourself crazy meticulously seeking updates, and consider it a break from the stress of the admissions process.  Last year, I just found distractions after work to take my mind off of it and I gradually shifted out of freak-out mode by doing so.

 

People do frequently get accepted off of wait lists.  I have yet to experience it but I think all of us in this situation will still have our fingers crossed.

 

*None of this is accusatory or assuming any reaction/response/behaviors, just general advice on the subject at large for anyone reading.

[RomulusAugustulus]

Definitely good advice above: no way to predict it, have to wait and see. That said, I was accepted off a waitlist for my MA program, as was (at least) one of the other student in my class of 4 (and a few people the year after). I think it is more common in MA programs, where some students seeking PhDs may have applied to the MA as a "back-up", got accepted to both and chose the PhD. I imagine that doesn't occur in your field, but that certainly doesn't mean that there isn't a chance to be accepted off the waitlist. As said above, write back thanking them and making your continuing interest in the program clear. Good luck!