October 18, 2002

More Colleges Use Waiting Lists in Admissions

By JEFFREY R. YOUNG

Prospective college students watch their mailboxes eagerly each spring looking for a yes or no from their favorite college. But more and more often, colleges are telling them maybe, placing them on a waiting list rather than accepting or rejecting them.

The number of colleges that use waiting lists has grown steadily over the past five years, from 388 institutions in 1998 to 449 in 2002, according to new data from the College Board, the nonprofit education group that owns the

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