Contacting POI while wait listed?

[Daisy123]

I am considering contacting by POI while waitlisted- i have had conversations with the Grad director but not with my POI for months now. I want to email her and tell her again how much i want to go there , but i dont really know what and how to say it- i cant just be like "heyy...i hope you have been well- so i reallyyyyy want to work with you, i just wanted to tell you again" ...

How have you guys approached this situation or WOULD you initiate contact at this point? What would you say.

[DigDeep(inactive)]

Simply put: no. 

[Daisy123]

hahah its WAS simply put, thank you. Is it because i risk "annoying" my way out of the wait list? 

[DigDeep(inactive)]

hahah its WAS simply put, thank you. Is it because i risk "annoying" my way out of the wait list? 

 

 

Yes. At this point I really don't think you can do anything but wait. You can only do more harm than good if you contact them. They know that you want in - you applied! If you e-mail them trying to edge your way up they will think you are some privileged kid who thinks you deserve to be at the top, and the others (who also went through the same belaboring process) are "beneath" you, or at least deserve to be. I'd just stick it out! I believe there's a post about netflix binging around here...that should help  

Edited March 17, 2014 by DigDeep

[Daisy123]

thank you so much. You just made me delete that "draft ' email i had prepared

[sweetpearl16]

Daisy123, if you are still on the waiting list at the beginning of April, I would contact your POI then and let them know you are still interested. I think reiterating your interest after being waitlisted for several weeks is not a bad thing. If this is your top school, I would let them know. Last year I was waitlisted at my top choice school. On April 1 I sent a letter to my POI. I think it was something like:

 

Dear So and So,

 

I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that I am still extremely interested in the anthropology program at (his school) and I have not accepted any of my other offers. (His School) is my top choice and if offered admissions, I would accept immediately.

 

Thank you so much,

sweetpearl16.

 

He wrote back a couple of hours later thanking me for the letter and letting me know he'd forwarded it to the department chair. About a week later I received an admissions offer from the school. I don't think the letter of continuing interest got me admitted, but it certainly didn't hurt my chances.

Edited March 17, 2014 by sweetpearl16

[DigDeep(inactive)]

Daisy123, if you are still on the waiting list at the beginning of April, I would contact your POI then and let them know you are still interested. I think reiterating your interest after being waitlisted for several weeks is not a bad thing. If this is your top school, I would let them know. Last year I was waitlisted at my top choice school. On April 1 I sent a letter to my POI. I think it was something like:

 

Dear So and So,

 

I hope you are doing well. I just wanted to let you know that I am still extremely interested in the anthropology program at (his school) and I have not accepted any of my other offers. (His School) is my top choice and if offered admissions, I would accept immediately.

 

Thank you so much,

sweetpearl16.

 

He wrote back a couple of hours later thanking me for the letter and letting me know he'd forwarded it to the department chair. About a week later I received an admissions offer from the school. I don't think the letter of continuing interest got me admitted, but it certainly didn't hurt my chances.

 

Good point! I suppose it makes sense by April. I wouldn't do it until that late though. Mid-march is too early, I think. 

[sweetpearl16]

I agree about mid-March being too early. I know some departments are still having their visitation days, which means many admitted students are still trying to make up their mind about where to go. By the beginning of April, a much larger number of students will have made up their mind and declined their offers from other schools. That being said, when I was going through this process it was really hard to stay patient and not email sooner.

[Daisy123]

Thank you for your advise! So, do you think most students that were accepted have not and will not give an answer until the deadline? 

[sweetpearl16]

I'm not sure if most will wait until the deadline (although I know some who did last year), but I think that there are many students who have yet to make decisions. It is a big decision to make and there are lot of factors which go into it. I think that there are also many admitted students who want to wait until they have visited their different schools before they make a final decision. Departments may still be holding visitations; my department just had its new student visitation this past weekend. So I would say, as difficult as it, to hold out for a few more weeks before you contact your POI or the department.