What is ranked waitlist vs unranked waitlist

[katew]

[nugget]

Ranked means everyone on the waitlist has been put on the list in order of priority. The first person on the waitlist will be contacted first when a position opens up, etc. Unranked means the people on the waitlist have not been ranked yet. When positions become available, the admissions committee will decide who will be contacted first, based on the number of positions available. 

[maozedong]

Ranked means everyone on the waitlist has been put on the list in order of priority. The first person on the waitlist will be contacted first when a position opens up, etc. Unranked means the people on the waitlist have not been ranked yet. When positions become available, the admissions committee will decide who will be contacted first, based on the number of positions available. 

If the adcomms decide who will be contacted first, then won't they eventually have to rank applicants on the basis of some criteria? 

[nugget]

If the adcomms decide who will be contacted first, then won't they eventually have to rank applicants on the basis of some criteria? 

 

Yes, but if someone is on an unranked waitlist this means the ranking hasn't been done yet and they have simply been put on a waitlist. If they need to give offers to people on the waitlist, then they will presumably rank the best candidates on the waitlist for the next round of offers. 

[smpalesh]

I am on an unranked waitlist of 30 people.  I was told that it will remain unranked and that when a spot opens up they will reassess all the people on the waitlist to decide who gets that spot.  Seems like a lot of extra work to me, but it does cause me to keep having that tiny bit of hope that I'll be the one they decide is worthy.