What does the economic downturn have to do with wait lists that rival the size of incoming freshman classes? 

Across the country, college wait lists are growing longer. The University of Virginia has wait-listed 3,750 potential students while enrolling 6,900. The College of William and Mary enrolled 1,400 – while putting 1,415 on the wait list.

Ballooning wait lists in the past two years reflects the cautious approach of admissions offices. Because of the economic downturn, it’s getting harder to be sure which admitted students are likely to attend, and endowments have been sapped as a result.

Colleges don’t want to risk tuition dollars by failing to fill their freshman classes. Add to that competitive colleges processing record numbers of applications, and schools are creating a huge reserve fund they can draw on if they come up short at the end of the regular admission cycle.

About one in three colleges employ a wait list. Roughly 30% of wait-listed students ultimately gain admission (though numbers are smaller at top colleges).

How long is the wait list at your school? Let us know in the comments section.

Tags: college of william and mary, University of Virginia, wait lists