College Admissions Counseling Blog

There is a new article discussing the increased wait list numbers being used this year by some of the highly selective colleges. Although I have already reported on the increased wait lists this year, this article is interesting as it provides more detailed information on how unlikely, and unpredictable, getting off a wait list is at many colleges. Amherst placed 1,400 students on their wait list this year in their effort to fill a class of 440. According to the article this was up 40% from last year. However, according to the Common Data Set information from Amherst itself, last year saw 1462 students offered a wait list placement.

According to Amherst's Common Data Set information in 2007 they took no students off the wait list. In 2006 they took 2 students off the wait list and none in 2005. However, in 2004, Amherst took 78 students off the wait list and 72 in 2003. These numbers would indicate that based on the most recent years, it is likely that Amherst will take few, if any, students from the wait list. But students on the wait list will hope that this year is a repeat of 2003 and 2004.

Students on a wait list at Amherst, or most selective colleges, are unlikely to gain admission off the wait list. They need to understand this and prepare alternatives in case they do not get off the wait list. And hope that this is one of the years when their wait list college accepts more than the normal number.