The papers have been filled with stories reporting students applying to ever- increasing numbers of colleges. It seemed only logical to those who consider such things (myself included) that students would therefore be declining acceptances in record numbers making the wait-lists all that more important to college admission offices. In fact, anticipating this eventuality some schools even increased the size of their wait-lists. “NOT!”
Instead, as reported by the Wall Street Journal (May 16, 2007) the percentages of students accepted to a school who ultimately decided to attend that school were unexpectedly high. Put simply, the predicted overlap of acceptances did not materialize. So the colleges are not looking for students to back-fill their freshman class numbers.
Further confounding predictions for wait-list acceptances comes from the fact that colleges have wait-lists not merely to assure a certain number of incoming freshmen, but even more important colleges use wait-lists to “balance” their freshman class. Therefore, even if you are lucky enough to be on a wait-list at a college that is admitting from the wait-list, you may not be what the college needs for a well-balanced freshman class. Most obvious example, the college is short of boys and you’re not. A good illustration of the unpredictability of wait-lists is Princeton. Last year Princeton accepted no students from its wait-list, this year Princeton accepted 30!
So what to do!? Select your favorite college from those who accepted you. Plan your housing and begin the mental and physical process of “going there to college”. If you can’t give up the dream of attending a school that has wait-listed you, remain on the wait-list fully aware that being on that wait-list is like buying a Mega Super Lotto ticket without even a guarantee of a drawing.

Remember…College: A Match to Be Made, Not a Prize to be Won. Perhaps the “Match” has already been made, but you’re hanging on in hopes of winning the “Prize”?