What is an "unranked" waitlist?

[beponychick]

Hey guys,

I just called Penn State and found out that their waitlist is "unranked." What does this mean? Does it mean that when they take people from this waitlist, numbers do not matter? I am on their "hold" list and would love to go there. I am wondering if being on an unranked waitlist is better than being on a ranked one? What do you guys think?

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[edfig99]

Hey guys,

I just called Penn State and found out that their waitlist is "unranked." What does this mean? Does it mean that when they take people from this waitlist, numbers do not matter? I am on their "hold" list and would love to go there. I am wondering if being on an unranked waitlist is better than being on a ranked one? What do you guys think?

an unranked list is one in which all the waitlist applicants have an equal opportunity of being selected into the class should a spot open up.

a ranked wait list is one in which each of the waitlisted applicants is ranked (duh) and is chosen in succession, i.e. first spot opens up, first waitlist candidate goes, second spot, second candidate, etc. the ranking can be based on any number of factors -- grades, interview, grades+interview, shoe size...

i suppose which list is better depends on where you fall on the spectrum. If your interview and application rocked, then you'll want to be on a ranked list, since you will probably be near the top. If either one was so/so then you want to be on an unranked list so the odds can work in your favor.

 

[Mr Reddly]

Also, unranked could mean you're ranked but they just don't want to tell you for fear that people lower down would jump ship.

 

[beponychick]

So do the schools just throw all names into a hat in an unranked waitlist, and choose? i dont understand.

 

[ventulus18]

thats what they do from the very beginning

 

[edfig99]

So do the schools just throw all names into a hat in an unranked waitlist, and choose? i dont understand.

sorta kinda. adcoms really do try to fit a class together, so with an unranked list, they may try to replace someone who dropped a spot, with someone on the waitlist who has similar qualities (not talking about gender and race/ethnicity...that would be illegal...more like i dunno...research interests, international experience...even personality). others may just pull the name out of the hat...

 

[felipe5]

So do the schools just throw all names into a hat in an unranked waitlist, and choose? i dont understand.

EXACTLY........thats pretty much how it is.....no one really understands. I'm currently on a non-ranked waitlist (WashU) and I have no idea what to make of it. Around these forums, you'll hear that sometimes schools will try and fill open spots with similar applicants (ie, minority, or from the same area), or that each time a group of spots opens up the committee will reconvene and discuss applicants, but really, its all up in the air.

Welcome to the admissions process

 

[Jamaican MD]

SO how many people do they place on the wailist? What percentage of interviewees?

 

[lesstalkmorock]

thats what they do from the very beginning

 

[UCLAstudent]

thats what they do from the very beginning

LOL... it sure does seem like that, doesn't it?

 

[Mr Reddly]

SO how many people do they place on the wailist? What percentage of interviewees?

On two of the ones I'm on, EVERYBODY that wasn't accepted after the interview goes on the waitlist. They could have already decided they didn't want you, but they string you along with all the others.

 

[Megalofyia]

Also, unranked could mean you're ranked but they just don't want to tell you for fear that people lower down would jump ship.

I think this is more likely the case for most schools who say their list is unranked. Whatever their reasoning is for not telling you I find it hard to believe that a school would truely have no clue as to how well they liked a canidate.

 

[CalBeE]

For schools with large waitlist, I think a better way to do it is to divide it up into tiers...For eg., UCLA has two tiers of waitlists, and people in the 2nd tier at least won't have their hopes high too much and make plans elsewhere.

 

[camstah]

yeah, med school people i talked to said that there's no way the list isn't really ranked...it'd be nice if they just told us where we stand...why would they care if lower ranked people "jumped ship" anyway? they ranked them low....so why would they be so concerned?

 

[JayMiranti]

I think this is more likely the case for most schools who say their list is unranked. Whatever their reasoning is for not telling you I find it hard to believe that a school would truely have no clue as to how well they liked a canidate.

I agree.. One school that says it has an unranked list on the website told me they have a ranking, but refused to disclose my ranking or the method when i called them up.

And I would hope they dont do it to string us along, although i wouldnt count it out considering the other injustices of this process. But by that logic, even the applicants who are very close to the top of the list don't even know where they are. Makes no sense

 

[Mr Reddly]

yeah, med school people i talked to said that there's no way the list isn't really ranked...it'd be nice if they just told us where we stand...why would they care if lower ranked people "jumped ship" anyway? they ranked them low....so why would they be so concerned?

Lets take UVM as an example. They used to split their waitlist into 3rds (this year, it's in halves). What if everybody at the top of the lower tier said "Shoot, you obviously don't want me, so I don't want you anymore!". And, what if they had to dip into that lower third that year. They might have to go to 'the bottom of the barrel' (heaven forbid!.. after enviting them to interview and all) or they may not even fill their class. If they give less info, people will stay on thinking they MIGHT be at the top.

Basically, MHO is that this puts the schools more in control and that's why the do it.
Also, when I called UVM, I got the impression that this is why they changed from 3 tiers to 2.

 

[hypersting]

Nothing is worse for a school than an exhausted waitlist. Imagine interviewing rejected applicants in July for 3 weeks later. No school wants to operate that way.

 

[CalBeE]

I agree.. One school that says it has an unranked list on the website told me they have a ranking, but refused to disclose my ranking or the method when i called them up.

And I would hope they dont do it to string us along, although i wouldnt count it out considering the other injustices of this process. But by that logic, even the applicants who are very close to the top of the list don't even know where they are. Makes no sense

Actually if say that particular year the waitlist moves unusually slow, and they ended up taking 1-2 people off the waitlist. It would have sucked if they told everyone their rank--the person on #3 counted on getting in but ended up not.

 

[mlw03]

see UF from 2 years ago for how ugly things can get when a waitlist is exhausted.

Nothing is worse for a school than an exhausted waitlist. Imagine interviewing rejected applicants in July for 3 weeks later. No school wants to operate that way.

 

[hypersting]

see UF from 2 years ago for how ugly things can get when a waitlist is exhausted.

So its happened .... I didn't know that and I can only imagine what it was like.

 

[Love4Radiohead]

EXACTLY........thats pretty much how it is.....no one really understands. I'm currently on a non-ranked waitlist (WashU) and I have no idea what to make of it. Around these forums, you'll hear that sometimes schools will try and fill open spots with similar applicants (ie, minority, or from the same area), or that each time a group of spots opens up the committee will reconvene and discuss applicants, but really, its all up in the air.

Welcome to the admissions process

Hey did you get an email today from WashU asking if you are still interested in remaining on the waitlist? I was wondering if they cut their unranked pool a bit, or if that is an email sent to all waitlisted applicants. Wash U prob has a ton of people on their unranked list. I guess time will only tell.
I am very annoyed by Wash U giving absolutely NO INFORMATION!!

 

[jlee9531]

I think this is more likely the case for most schools who say their list is unranked. Whatever their reasoning is for not telling you I find it hard to believe that a school would truely have no clue as to how well they liked a canidate.

well there are many schools that tell their applicants their waitlist is ranked but that they do not release their information.

which leads me to believe that an unranked WL is still the best one to be on.

 

[felipe5]

Hey did you get an email today from WashU asking if you are still interested in remaining on the waitlist? I was wondering if they cut their unranked pool a bit, or if that is an email sent to all waitlisted applicants. Wash U prob has a ton of people on their unranked list. I guess time will only tell.
I am very annoyed by Wash U giving absolutely NO INFORMATION!!

hey,

I got the same email.......I wonder if everyone got that email as well.....hmmmmmmm, once again I have NO FRICKEN idea whats goin' on there in St. Louis. You're definitely not alone in your frustration. Maybe this means that they are preparing for the waitlist to start moving!!!!!!!!! G'LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BioMedResearch]

NYU too has an "unranked" waitlist. I know of two people that interviewed that were rejected. However, because of NYU's history of alot of waitlist movement, I'm sure that the list is sizeable.

 

[PublicEnemy]

Last year one of my good friends had 5 interviews 0 acceptances and 4 wait-lists through June. He submitted AMCAS again on the first day thinking he would have to re-apply. Between July 15th and 16th he received phone calls from all 4 schools offering him admission off the wait-lists. One of the schools even admitted they were surprised to see he had not been accepted elsewhere. It might be coincidence, but I think this guys submitting AMCAS for the next year may have been a factor. I feel like the adcoms saw he was about to be a re-applicant and instantly bumped him up the wait-list ranks because with good stats yet 0 acceptances, he comes accross as someone who's highly likely to enroll, and when adcoms are digging into wait-lists in June and July, thats what they're looking for, people who might just come to their school.

 

[jjmack]

I think everyone got it. If you look at your orginal receipt of your request to join the waitlist they say they will periodically send you an e-mail seeing if you wish to remain on. Good luck everyone.

Hey did you get an email today from WashU asking if you are still interested in remaining on the waitlist? I was wondering if they cut their unranked pool a bit, or if that is an email sent to all waitlisted applicants. Wash U prob has a ton of people on their unranked list. I guess time will only tell.
I am very annoyed by Wash U giving absolutely NO INFORMATION!!