The notion that several hundred members of the Class of 2012 may be admitted off the waitlist raises some serious concerns regarding new admissions policies. A heavy reliance on the waitlist, a great departure from current practice, stems from the University's decision to do away with Early Decision. The Daily Princetonian advocated this switch in these pages and still believes that the University was right in doing so. The extensive use of the waitlist, if it becomes a recurrent practice, however, may undermine the change in policy's benefits to admissions by increasing gamesmanship and "advantaging the advantaged."
The end of Early Decision increases the uncertainty of the yield rate, making it more difficult for the Admission Office to determine how many students should be admitted. Relying on a voluminous waitlist to fill vacant spots in the freshman class addresses this problem, but also makes the waitlist much more important. To some extent, the University has substituted one two-round admission process — Early Decision and Regular Decision — with another — Regular Decision and waitlist, running from December to June.
A simple Google search of the term "waitlisted" immediately beings up a vast number of websites, each offering strategies on getting off the waitlist. These strategies include calling or visiting the admission office, mailing in extra essays or recommendations or drumming up support from influential alumni. These kinds of strategies, if allowed by the University, are inherently biased against the underprivileged students the abolition of Early Decision was intended to benefit. It is no stretch to say that from well-connected parents to engaged guidance counselors, applicants from privileged backgrounds are more likely to be successful in pursuing the strategies recommended for getting off waitlists.
Finally, it is important to recognize the stigma of being admitted off the waitlist. Dean Rapelye recently suggested that it didn't matter whether students were admitted Regular Decision or are chosen from the waitlist. This view unfairly discounts the possibility that a stigma could apply to applicants who are admitted from the waitlist. It would be unfortunate to have a significant portion of the class think of themselves as second-rate Princetonians.
To avoid these potential ill effects, the University should outline a clear policy in order to make the second round of the admissions process as equitable and painless as possible. We hope that the Office of Admission will hold to its commitment of constantly evaluating the admissions process and reexamining the way the waitlist is used. It is important to note the added strain the wait list places on applicants who need to endure two extra months of stressful patience.
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