I am not a fan of college wait lists. Usually, when a
student asks me if he/she should stay on a wait list my response is
"no". I think wait lists often prevent students from feeling really
committed to and getting excited about college. Being in limbo is unsettling
for anyone.
Once in while, I do have a student who opts to be on a wait
list and try to convince a school to move her into the accepted group. This
NY Times article made me smile. Is it a surprise that sending cookies to
the admissions officer probably won't do the trick? Remember, college is
primarily an academic pursuit. I suspect that carrying on an email conversation
with a professor studying something that fascinates you, creating a list of
courses you hope to take next fall or letting the college know about the
research internship you have for the summer after high school would be more
compelling than having a parent call and offer to send the admissions officer
two pizzas a week for the entire school year.
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