I would love to hear some advice from people about how to navigate being on a waitlist, especially for a school you have a strong preference for. Particularly interested in:
Should you reach out to the school?
How strongly should you communicate your preference? If it's true, is it worth saying something like "If you make me an offer, I will accept it"?
What is the ideal time to reach out? March 15th, April 1st, April 14th?
Should you talk about other offers you're considering, or wait until they ask?
I imagine most schools have their waitlists in some kind of rough order of who they want to make offers to, but they don't communicate that. Just wondering what the best way to handle this situation and maximize chances of getting an offer is, especially that could lead to an offer before the very last minute.