The Waiting (List) Game

You’ve applied to your private school – or schools – of choice and are anxiously awaiting letters from the admissions offices. Receiving a yes or no letter gives you a definitive answer. But what if your child is placed on a waitlist? What does that mean? We answer some common questions about how waitlists are used in the admissions process at private and independent schools.

How do schools decide who to admit in the first place?
Many factors go into determining whether or not a child will be offered admission to a school. Additionally, many factors go into creating an entering class of students. A school’s highest priority is to admit students who have the greatest chance at success in their educational environment and who will contribute the most to their school’s community. They also take into account the make-up of the class and will want to strike a balance between criteria that might include gender, birth date, geographic location, and more. Ultimately, the decision to admit – or not admit – a student takes into account individual characteristics as well as potential group dynamics.

Is being placed on a waitlist just a polite way for a school to deny admission?
If a school feels strongly that a child will not succeed in their environment, most admissions directors will not offer admission to the student. However, if the admissions director believes that the child could be successful but wasn’t admitted for another reason, perhaps a group factor as described above, the child could very well be placed on a waitlist. Then, if a space becomes available at some point in the future, a student from the waitlist will be offered admission.

If the school believes that my child could fit in well at their school, why was my child placed on the waitlist rather than someone else?
Many factors go into admitting students to private schools. For example, let’s say that two students – a boy and a girl – are both seen as potentially successful students at a given school, but the entering class has an overabundance of girls. If all other factors are equal, the school is more likely to admit the boy to better balance the class.

Is there anything I can do to improve my child’s chances of getting off of the waitlist and into the school?
If you receive a letter telling you that your child has been placed on a waitlist, you can call the school’s admissions office to affirm your commitment to enroll if your child is ultimately admitted. You may also ask how many children are currently on the waitlist and the likelihood that your child is in a position to move off of the list. If a spot does open up, the school will be more likely to offer admission to a family that is a “sure thing” over a family who might not commit. Be mindful, however, that there is a fine line between letting the school know that you remain interested and stalking the admissions office. One phone call should be sufficient.

What if my child doesn’t make it off of the waitlist but the school is still our first choice? Is there anything we can do to improve our chances in the future?
If you know for certain that your child will not be attending a school for the upcoming year, either because you did not make it off of the waitlist or you received a rejection letter, you really have nothing to lose by contacting the admissions officer and politely asking for feedback. Some admissions officers will even go as far as offering advice on how you might improve your child’s chances for admission in the future. For example, if the admissions officer thought there were issues of academic deficiencies, perhaps your child can spend the upcoming year building up the skills that are required to be successful at the school.

Learn more

Find out what parents outside of San Diego have to say about their experiences with waitlists on the following blogs and discussion forums:

AdmissionsQuest: Waitlisted at a Private School?
http://www.admissionsquest.com/~Resources/ShowArticle.cfm/ArticleID/90/ArticleTypeID/5/Topic/waitlisted-at-a-private-school

NYC Private Schools Blog: Waitlists for Private Schools; You’re Not Alone
http://nycprivateschoolsblog.com/education/waitlists-for-private-schools-youre-not-alone/03/03/2009/

Private School Review: Waitlisted? What next?
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/articles/66

The SF K Files: Private school wait lists
http://thesfkfiles.blogspot.com/2009/02/hot-topic-private-school-wait-lists.html