Why do schools stagger rejections?

[759]

It doesn't make very much sense. After a school has decided who to accept and who to wait list, why stagger rejections? There are schools that I haven't heard anything from, but who have accepted, rejected, and wait listed people already. I'm assuming a rejection --- but why not send out all rejections at once? What motive could they possibly have for sending some rejections out at one time, and others weeks from that time? Shouldn't sending out rejections be as easy as sending out a mass e-mail with more or less the same letter? 

 

 

 

[currentphilgrad]

Just a hypothesis so take it with a grain of salt. They want to cover themselves in the off chance that everyone who was accepted or waitlisted declines. They don't want to be left with no incoming students, so they leave some people in limbo just in case.

[759]

4 minutes ago, currentphilgrad said:

Just a hypothesis so take it with a grain of salt. They want to cover themselves in the off chance that everyone who was accepted or waitlisted declines. They don't want to be left with no incoming students, so they leave some people in limbo just in case.

In that case, why not just wait list more people? Nothing is guaranteed to people on a wait list, so if they were really worried about not filling a quota then why wouldn't they just maintain a large wait list? If they give someone no answer at all, that person may be more inclined to direct their hopes elsewhere since silence is usually a presumed rejection...  

Edited February 11, 2016 by WVE