[Handlebar]

Waitlisted.

I had emails on back-to-back days for two events, back-to-back weekends. I registered months ago, made plans, cancelled others, and was ready to go... Only to find I was waitlisted! I am so bummed to miss out given how gracious and supportive everyone but I know how hard the registrars work and look forward to seeing everyone again in the not too distant future!

Admittedly, I'm not happy with how the registration process didn't meet my expectations/commitment, but I'm trying to proactively find a way to improve my odds of something like this not recurring.

What do I need to do differently?

Thanks for the informative replies.

[BlackTalon]

'registered' does not equal 'accepted'.

Acceptances are not finalized until close to the event. And they cannot accept students unless they have enough instructors already signed up. And many instructors tend to not sign up until pretty close to the event...

Pretty sure there is something written about this is any correspondence you get from the registration site when you sign up for an event.

[N0tt0N]

Ken, normally mine show up as 'New' until the club does their first lock in, usually a few weeks beforehand, then you move to 'Confirmed' or 'Waitlisted'. Some clubs do rolling confirmations. Most also are instructor limited so as instructors sign up later they can add students. Also. Cancellations happen. I think you're doing all the right things - hang in there!

Btw, it is not MSR, to be clear. They just facilitate.

[joep]

Always read the messages on screen, and the emails you receive closely. MSR gives the event planners plenty of options, and its always possible you mistook their intended meaning. Heck I've been guilty of screwing things up on the back end of it myself once or twice. (I do the PCAP Drive & dine events not DE, before you ask)

When in doubt, or sometimes just for peace of mind, it never hurts to reach out and ask.

[smdubovsky]

Thats pretty shitty way to run things IMO. W/ nasa you know immediately if you are waitlisted or not. The program should know X instructors are signed up so we can accept Y students. Even before you have a final X you know some minimum you'll get and can work off that data.

[BlackTalon]

It's not truly 'first come first served'. They tried that initially, and many regular PCAP members were shut out of the first event or two. I believe the process is now manual to make club members a priority. Lots of other factors, too.

[BikePump]

Stephen
The issue is that most instructors sign up closer to the events than the student drivers do. This prohibits the organizers from confirming the student registrations until they know exactly how many can be supported. The last thing you would want to do is confirm someone and then tell them they dont have a slot - as painful as the other approach is it really is the most controllable and fair.

The other factor is that all instructors are not equal. Some are best paired with Green drivers- others with more experienced so it does take a human to look at the roster and make the pairings based on more in-depth data than MSR can handle.

[BMAN]

Originally Posted by BlackTalon

Lots of other factors, too.

I hear this helps a lot.

[HoodPin]

Don't forget the importance of key volunteers that support the DE program, even though they may not be instructors. Without a good foundation of volunteers, the event cannot happen.

FWIW, volunteers that step up are recognized, and can make the difference in tie-breaker decisions for the last few remaining spots. I've always encouraged new folks to take advantage of the volunteer opportunities to help keep the program healthy, as well as meeting many of the key players. Its no guarantee, but I know of many instances where a wait-lister opted to come out to the event anyway, planning to help out, only to find themselves being able to take advantage of a last minute cancellation. Of course it helps if you arrive prepared, including a Tech Inspection Form, helmet, appropriate clothing, etc.

[SJK]

Michael, think you got the wrong guy.

Originally Posted by BikePump

StephenThe issue is that most instructors sign up closer to the events than the student drivers do. This prohibits the organizers from confirming the student registrations until they know exactly how many can be supported. The last thing you would want to do is confirm someone and then tell them they dont have a slot - as painful as the other approach is it really is the most controllable and fair.

The other factor is that all instructors are not equal. Some are best paired with Green drivers- others with more experienced so it does take a human to look at the roster and make the pairings based on more in-depth data than MSR can handle.