Receive an offer if you were on the waitlist?

[Babara Keller]

I am not quite sure the differences between applicants who are on the waitlist and who already received the first wave of offers. It seems like the waitlist applicants are less important and not better than those who received the offer (of course in the eyes of the POI). 

But sometimes, the selection process of the admission committee is so subjective. I kind of dislike people putting me on the waitlist and I feel like I am not being valued by the POI as she or he did not choose me at the first place. So, I don't think i will receive an offer if I was on the waitlist before. However, if that's my only offer, then there maybe a different story. 

I just want to know how do you guys think of being put on the waitlist?

 

[MathCat]

You shouldn't think of it as not being wanted - there are many many more applicants than there are spots. Even being waitlisted means you are on the top of the pile - they want you, they just don't have space. Yes, you are not their absolute first pick, but they still want you.

[Marst]

Also, you may as well be your POI's first choice. Not all departments ensure that each POI gets a student. Mine, for instance, ranks candidates and admits the top candidates. It may happen that one POI get multiple students while another POI does not get any.

 

If I were you, I would not 'blame' the POI for you being waitlisted.