Hard To Explain The Huge Number Of Applicants Put On Wait Lists

For those families running the college admissions gantlet for the first time, the use of waiting lists can be among the most bewildering aspects of a process that offers no shortage of bewilderment. How can a college (or a college admissions blog) possibly explain to an applicant that Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh has offered 5,025 students places on its waiting list this year, for a freshman class that will likely be less than a third that size. Nonetheless, many universities have been criticized for their unwillingness to send a clear-cut, final answer — admit or deny — to so many prospective students before May 1. Read more at:
http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/waiting-list-2011/?partner=rss&emc=rss