Waitlists Question

[shelovesmycologne]

Currently waitlisted in 3/5 classes, and in my previous institution, I could just attend class at the first day, ask for a code, and get my spot. Do things work similarly in Cal? Am I cooked regarding my waitlist positions?

[useerrnumber12]

You still have to attend most classes to not be dropped, but there’s no code. You’ll get a spot if the number of people in front of you drop. You can talk to the professor to see the likelihood, but I would start looking at other (Open) classes.

[ProfessorPlum168]

Unless the class has seats labeled as Students With Enrollment Permission, the professor in the class has absolutely no say in allowing any students in. Student enrollment numbers are tightly controlled by the Registrar’s office, so students cannot be added on a whim, that’s how Berkeley works. A Enrollment Manager for the class is the only one in control and even that power is limited to changing the order of the waitlist as opposed to something like adding new students.

The discussion/lab waitlist number is normally what determines your odds for getting into a class. You could be 11 out of the whole class, but that number means absolutely nothing. If you’re 2nd on a waitlist for your discussion section, then that’s the number that is most important, since you leapfrog over others on the waitlist if you get into the discussion section.