Wait Listed .....

[swissms]

I know there are forums for rejections and acceptances, I thought those of us that have been wait listed might need a place to worry too.

 

I've been wait listed at Rice. Anyone else in the same boat? Thoughts? Strategies? Positive Vibes?

[kara.spinney]

If I never received an interview do I still have a shot at being waitlisted or should I presume rejection?

[merivo]

I'm waitlisted at Hopkins. I've mailed POI and he answered me that "if there will be acceptances in your subfield, you're in". That's it. I think the only strategy is to mail politely your POI (if you have mailed them before) and wait.... 

 

Thanks for this thread! I was waiting for it) 

[swissms]

I didn't interview at the school I've been wait listed at either. I think Merivo is spot on. Email your POI and see if you can get the lay of the land.

[czesc]

If I never received an interview do I still have a shot at being waitlisted or should I presume rejection?

 

This is going to depend entirely on the school and whether they do interviews regularly.

 

As will the question of whether waitlisting implies rejection in general. At Princeton, for example, a waitlisting is rarely more than a consolation prize, with little chance of actual admission possible. At other schools, waitlisting implies a realistic shot. 

[Heimat Historian]

What can you do if you expect you may be wait listed (ie not heard a peep)? At what point is it acceptable to email a POI?

[rmw]

I was waitlisted to UConn. Didn't email my POI while applying, still haven't email them. I responded to the DGS email saying I was waitlisted, but he hasn't emailed me back yet. I'm going to the welcome weekend the last weekend in March, but I hope I hear back from them before that. 

[remenis]

What can you do if you expect you may be wait listed (ie not heard a peep)? At what point is it acceptable to email a POI?

 

Unless your expectation comes from a professor there having told you you were waitlisted, do not contact them - it would likely just annoy them. If someone said that to you but you never got anything official, then you might consider reaching out.

 

My experience with waitlists runs two ways: if the school is very presitigous (as czesc said) the waitlist often means nothing - not enough people turn them down for waitlist spots to open up. This isn't the case everywhere though - in my program each field can accept only one or two people, so the waitlist is a small collection of alternates - if the one person the field admitted turns them down, they offer it to the next person in that subfield.

 

If you have confirmation that you were waitlisted it's fair to write to your POI or the DGS and ask how their waitlist works and how many people are ahead of you - some are field specific, some aren't, etc.

 

Ultimately the unfortunate thing about the waitlist is that even if you are the alternate choice or first on the waitlist, the person with the offer has until April 15th to acccept it - so the school may not find out if they can offer you a place until after that date.

Edited February 24, 2015 by remenis