News

Lasman ’06 and Witte ’06 Decide to Stay on Waitlists, Despite Acceptances

April 1 was a significant day for the Class of 2006: for some, the college process is finally over and Senior Spring has never looked better. However, most students must now struggle to make their final decisions. Others will postpone their choice until receiving decisions from waiting lists. Seniors Ben Lasman ’06 and Lucretia Witte ’06 are no exception. In the fall, Lasman applied early to Columbia University as well as the University of Chicago. He was accepted to the University of Chicago, but deferred from Columbia. His early acceptance to University of Chicago was non-binding, which allowed him to consider other colleges regular decision. After receiving the early application results in the beginning of Winter Term, Lasman chose to apply regular decision to Yale University, Brown University, and University of Pennsylvania. Though he was waitlisted at all three schools, his acceptance to UChicago still stands. “While I had hoped to have this process over with by April 1, I will likely ride the waiting lists out into Mid-May or June and file a deposit at Chicago in the meantime,” he said. Because of the ambiguity of the waitlist, schools offering admission often require a monetary deposit by May 1, which would be forfeited should the student choose to give up their spot at that school. While Lasman originally entered the process with Columbia as his clear-cut first choice that line has blurred since he saw other equally reputable schools. “With several possible options left open for me, I find it difficult to identify a clear first choice at the moment. I would be ecstatic to attend any one of the four schools I may attend next year, although my decision to pursue the waitlists suggests that I wish to explore other options outside of Chicago,” he said. Another factor that Lasman will consider is the size and setting of the college. All three that he applied to regular decision are “large, urban, Ivy League schools” and he expressed a desire to remain on the East coast for a few more years, where he can be closer to his family and friends. “All of these schools are academically superb, in urban environments, in possession of large and diverse student bodies and strong English and humanities departments. I am fortunate that I have been accepted to a school that I would gladly attend. As for remaining on the three waitlists, I look forward to whatever news the next couple months may bring,” he concluded. Witte, after being deferred Early Acceptance at Dartmouth College, decided to apply to around twelve other schools. Originally, she had planned to apply to only several liberal arts colleges in the New England area, but after researching she started to consider a wider range of possibilities. She said that she “didn’t do [that] well in the Ivies,” but she was accepted at Mount Holyoke and Trinity, and waitlisted at Bryn Mawr, Hamilton, and Stanford. Like Lasman, going through regular admissions has changed her first choice. She said, “I applied early to Dartmouth as my first choice…but now Stanford, if I can get off the waiting list, is at the top of my list.” “They’re just starting up a squash team, and they haven’t had a chance to recruit while they build up the program, so they need players,” she added, noting that this was a fabulous opportunity to get involved in an athletic aspect of the college. She picked up squash for the first time last fall term and played competitively on the Varsity Girls Squash team last winter. She is also currently on Varsity Girls Tennis. “Not only is it an amazing school, it’s also on the West Coast. The prospect of going to school there is very appealing,” she said. For Seniors, the College Counseling Office also plays a big role in the application process, determining the best matches for schools and students and helping them prepare, beginning in the Winter Term of their Upper Year. “When you think about it, it’s a superficial process…they are working with so many kids, and have their own opinions where those kids belong,” she added. Witte is still waiting to hear from Duke and McGill. “I wish I could just decide now. As long as I stay on the waitlist, I don’t feel like I’m done with the process. I’m not in senior spring yet,” she said.