Leaving yourself on a waitlist once you accept elsewhere?

Question

Hey again all,

It seems that it's pretty common practice to stay on the waitlist for a given school while accepting and being 100% sure (OK, 99%) about another. This doesn't seem to be the most ethical thing to do, but I understand the appeal; "I wonder if I'd eventually have gotten in??"

I'm curious as to how others have handled this situation - purely from a hypothetical standpoint of course :wink:

-TL

helg · Answer

I would recall my candidacy from the WL if I knew I was not matriculating there, just to save me the hassle of declining a possible admission later in the game.

kwam · Answer

I believe that if one hasn't turned down the WL - or the acceptance - is that he or she is not 100% sure.

If I were 100% sure I'd turn down.

loom · Answer

Just curious...why would it seem unethical to remain on a waitlist even if you're committed to another school?

Toploader · Answer

Wouldn't leaving myself on a waitlist bode poorly for others who genuinely want to get in to that school?

dabots · Answer

if you get offered a spot off the waitlist and then decline it, they will just move on to somebody else who will accept

kryzak · Answer

I think the only time you should remain on a W/L is if the school that WL you is the one you really want to go to, and the school you accepted is forcing you to send in a deposit soon. No one can blame a candidate that doesn't want to hedge their MBA chances on a WL hope. Otherwise, if you don't care either way, I would recommend removing yourself from the WL to let someone else get in.

aaudetat · Answer

I think it's a question of how much you want to grease the world's wheels.

If you think you MIGHT go to the school who has WLed you, then by all means, ride it out and see what happens.

If you KNOW you won't go, then you're just playing games. Is it unethical? No, I guess not. But I would say it's a bit dodgy. Remember, those adcoms are still keeping your file active. They're probably reviewing it periodically, keeping you on a mailing list, etc. It's unlikely you're taking a spot from someone else, but you are wasting the adcom's resources.

MBAbot · Answer

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Leaving yourself on a waitlist once you accept elsewhere?

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