Waitlisted at Virginia Tech 😑 . Question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing at VA tech is that kids with significantly lower stars get in, and higher are waitlisted. You can claim “orchestra” all you want but it’s obvious what it is.

Oh let them be. It's obviously some kind of victory and dopamine hit to be able to say "I'm sorry your kid didn't get in"... let them have it as petty and strange as it might be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing at VA tech is that kids with significantly lower stars get in, and higher are waitlisted. You can claim “orchestra” all you want but it’s obvious what it is.

This is true at every university.@0

[Anonymous]

As a reminder, VT does not read the Common App essay. They only read their essay prompts about UT Proism. If you didn’t put the time into that then they notice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The thing at VA tech is that kids with significantly lower stars get in, and higher are waitlisted. You can claim “orchestra” all you want but it’s obvious what it is.

Kids with lower stats go into what at VA Tech? A major in forestry? Or sociology? Or poultry science? (Or are going into the Corps of Cadets?) Yes, kids with lower stats than yours got into those majors while your kid with higher stats applying into computer science or finance got rejected or waitlisted.

Can you imagine why you think that happens? Hint... it is not yield protection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT does not yield protect. I know some.people want to use this as an excuse for their kids not getting in, but that does not make it true. VT will definitely reject/waitlist a "high stats" kid that does not take the time to appropriately answer their 4 short essay questions. The 20:57 PP on page 2, for example, does not take the time to proofread their posts. Perhaps their essays were also riddled with grammatical errors.

It didn't take long for the "VT does not yield protect" crowd to show up, did it?

You are wrong. Regardless of what their policy says, they do yield protect (or yield manage). Otherwise, you cannot explain the number of otherwise qualified kids that get waitlisted here but got into several other similar or higher ranked schools. Tech (along with NEU and UF) were safeties for my kid (a couple of years ago). He was waitlisted at Tech but got into the other two. I read all his essays and they were all of the same calibre. I may be biased about my kid's writing, but not so on a relative basis. We also know multiple kids that year and since with similar outcomes - didn't get into Tech, but did at higher ranked, more selective, schools. Can't explain that with "oh, they wrote poor essays because they were thinking it was a safety". No one does that.

Your kid did not get into VT, and I understand that made you sad/angry. You can't fathom that institutional priorities are a factor, and VT had so many highly qualified applicants that they can pick and choose among them to fill their priority buckets. So you decide to falsely proclaim that your kid was waitlisted because of yield protection. I suppose you are welcome to think/say it, but that does not make it true.

Why would it? As I pointed out, he got into his other safeties and of course his reaches too! He wouldn't have attended anyways..

The other half of the story I didn't share.. DC3 got into VT this year. For him it was a reach and we were mighty thrilled he got in. Way lower stats, way crappier essays (he literally wrote them the day before). But the story is the same this year also.. several of his very high stats friends did not get in. I am also an alum of VT so we are absolutely vested in the success of VT, but let's call a spade a spade.. VT DOES yield protect (or yield manage if that makes some of y'all feel better).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing at VA tech is that kids with significantly lower stars get in, and higher are waitlisted. You can claim “orchestra” all you want but it’s obvious what it is.

Oh let them be. It's obviously some kind of victory and dopamine hit to be able to say "I'm sorry your kid didn't get in"... let them have it as petty and strange as it might be.

+1. I'm am the PP above, a VT alum, and will be spending the next 4 years way more involved thanks to DC2 going to VT, but some of the VT cheerleaders on here are cuckoo!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT does not yield protect. I know some.people want to use this as an excuse for their kids not getting in, but that does not make it true. VT will definitely reject/waitlist a "high stats" kid that does not take the time to appropriately answer their 4 short essay questions. The 20:57 PP on page 2, for example, does not take the time to proofread their posts. Perhaps their essays were also riddled with grammatical errors.

It didn't take long for the "VT does not yield protect" crowd to show up, did it?

You are wrong. Regardless of what their policy says, they do yield protect (or yield manage). Otherwise, you cannot explain the number of otherwise qualified kids that get waitlisted here but got into several other similar or higher ranked schools. Tech (along with NEU and UF) were safeties for my kid (a couple of years ago). He was waitlisted at Tech but got into the other two. I read all his essays and they were all of the same calibre. I may be biased about my kid's writing, but not so on a relative basis. We also know multiple kids that year and since with similar outcomes - didn't get into Tech, but did at higher ranked, more selective, schools. Can't explain that with "oh, they wrote poor essays because they were thinking it was a safety". No one does that.

DP. So this was when VT still had ED. Did your kid apply ED? Obviously not if he was using it as a "safety." So what's the issue? Why do you feel he was entitled to an acceptance? He was competing against thousands of other highly qualified kids. He wasn't owed a space.

Where did I say he was 'entitled' to an acceptance? I just narrated what happened and drew the obvious conclusion (based on multiple data points) that VT does yield protect. Ofc he's not 'owed' a seat. No one is. Duh! It's the other posters that get triggered because someone would dare call VT a safety and imply that they manage yield. Just don't bury your head in the sand..

Obv. my son did not apply ED which would have helped us this year for DC2 (but ended up working out OK with EA).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT does not yield protect. I know some.people want to use this as an excuse for their kids not getting in, but that does not make it true. VT will definitely reject/waitlist a "high stats" kid that does not take the time to appropriately answer their 4 short essay questions. The 20:57 PP on page 2, for example, does not take the time to proofread their posts. Perhaps their essays were also riddled with grammatical errors.

It didn't take long for the "VT does not yield protect" crowd to show up, did it?

You are wrong. Regardless of what their policy says, they do yield protect (or yield manage). Otherwise, you cannot explain the number of otherwise qualified kids that get waitlisted here but got into several other similar or higher ranked schools. Tech (along with NEU and UF) were safeties for my kid (a couple of years ago). He was waitlisted at Tech but got into the other two. I read all his essays and they were all of the same calibre. I may be biased about my kid's writing, but not so on a relative basis. We also know multiple kids that year and since with similar outcomes - didn't get into Tech, but did at higher ranked, more selective, schools. Can't explain that with "oh, they wrote poor essays because they were thinking it was a safety". No one does that.

Yield management is not the same thing as yield protection.

Yield management - 5000 highly qualified candidates apply but you have only 1000 slots. You make offers to ~1200 because you have data that shows ~20% will decline. You pick the 1200 by best guess as to good match based on the application.

Yield protection - 5000 highly qualified candidates apply, but you toss out the top 500 because you think they are overqualified and won’t accept even if offered admission. Then you select from the rest.

Every school has to manage yield. The more uncertainty in the process overall, the more they have to use the waitlist, because they can’t risk over enrollment.

Potaytoh, Potaahtoe!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the smartest things I heard when DD was going through the college admissions process was a guidance counselor who said “every university is putting together an orchestra every single year. They need a variety of students. They cannot have just all tuba players.”

This makes sense to me. College choosing my kid or not is not just stats. None of these high performing kids are owed an acceptance. There is no reason at all my DD got in some schools and not others with a 1500 SAT and. 4.3 Gpa. Except that it’s an orchestra.

To everyone who says they were devastated not to get into VT but are quick to point out in most cases there were admitted at higher ranked schools, ask yourself why? Is that just ego? Consider the orchestra and it makes better sense. And be so grateful you have a smart hardworking kid who has several excellent choices.

The 'orchestra' is the essence of yield management/protection. Schools do what they need to do but that doesn't preclude applicants treating the schools as safeties and when not admitted, pointing out the existence of yield protection/management. I don't think anyone was 'devastated' or displayed their 'ego' in any of their posts. Not getting into a safety is not a new thing. Don't project.

[Anonymous]

Not getting into a safety is not a new thing. Don't project.

NP. I think the point is no one should consider VT a safety.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The thing at VA tech is that kids with significantly lower stars get in, and higher are waitlisted. You can claim “orchestra” all you want but it’s obvious what it is.

Kids with lower stats go into what at VA Tech? A major in forestry? Or sociology? Or poultry science? (Or are going into the Corps of Cadets?) Yes, kids with lower stats than yours got into those majors while your kid with higher stats applying into computer science or finance got rejected or waitlisted.

Can you imagine why that happens? Hint... it is not yield protection.

+1. Majors matter at VT. They have so many highly qualified students applying for their College of Engineering that they can pick and choose among them to fill institutional priorities. There is not much difference between a 1470 SAT and a 1530 SAT. Nor is there much of a difference between 8 APs and 11 APs. Nor much between a 4.3 GPA and a 4.4 GPA. They are giving a whole lot of weight to their short essays and other student involvement/character (ECs, sports, volunteer, etc). Remember that VT does not take recommendations.All of this is detailed within their admissions pages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the smartest things I heard when DD was going through the college admissions process was a guidance counselor who said “every university is putting together an orchestra every single year. They need a variety of students. They cannot have just all tuba players.”

This makes sense to me. College choosing my kid or not is not just stats. None of these high performing kids are owed an acceptance. There is no reason at all my DD got in some schools and not others with a 1500 SAT and. 4.3 Gpa. Except that it’s an orchestra.

To everyone who says they were devastated not to get into VT but are quick to point out in most cases there were admitted at higher ranked schools, ask yourself why? Is that just ego? Consider the orchestra and it makes better sense. And be so grateful you have a smart hardworking kid who has several excellent choices.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT does not yield protect. I know some.people want to use this as an excuse for their kids not getting in, but that does not make it true. VT will definitely reject/waitlist a "high stats" kid that does not take the time to appropriately answer their 4 short essay questions. The 20:57 PP on page 2, for example, does not take the time to proofread their posts. Perhaps their essays were also riddled with grammatical errors.

It didn't take long for the "VT does not yield protect" crowd to show up, did it?

You are wrong. Regardless of what their policy says, they do yield protect (or yield manage). Otherwise, you cannot explain the number of otherwise qualified kids that get waitlisted here but got into several other similar or higher ranked schools. Tech (along with NEU and UF) were safeties for my kid (a couple of years ago). He was waitlisted at Tech but got into the other two. I read all his essays and they were all of the same calibre. I may be biased about my kid's writing, but not so on a relative basis. We also know multiple kids that year and since with similar outcomes - didn't get into Tech, but did at higher ranked, more selective, schools. Can't explain that with "oh, they wrote poor essays because they were thinking it was a safety". No one does that.

Your kid did not get into VT, and I understand that made you sad/angry. You can't fathom that institutional priorities are a factor, and VT had so many highly qualified applicants that they can pick and choose among them to fill their priority buckets. So you decide to falsely proclaim that your kid was waitlisted because of yield protection. I suppose you are welcome to think/say it, but that does not make it true.

Why would it? As I pointed out, he got into his other safeties and of course his reaches too! He wouldn't have attended anyways..

The other half of the story I didn't share.. DC3 got into VT this year. For him it was a reach and we were mighty thrilled he got in. Way lower stats, way crappier essays (he literally wrote them the day before). But the story is the same this year also.. several of his very high stats friends did not get in. I am also an alum of VT so we are absolutely vested in the success of VT, but let's call a spade a spade.. VT DOES yield protect (or yield manage if that makes some of y'all feel better).

As do ALL selective schools. Surely you understand this? They can’t accept every high stats student applying for in-demand majors, so they have to choose what works for them. No one is entitled to an admittance, yet some of you seem to think otherwise.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:VT does not yield protect. I know some.people want to use this as an excuse for their kids not getting in, but that does not make it true. VT will definitely reject/waitlist a "high stats" kid that does not take the time to appropriately answer their 4 short essay questions. The 20:57 PP on page 2, for example, does not take the time to proofread their posts. Perhaps their essays were also riddled with grammatical errors.

It didn't take long for the "VT does not yield protect" crowd to show up, did it?

You are wrong. Regardless of what their policy says, they do yield protect (or yield manage). Otherwise, you cannot explain the number of otherwise qualified kids that get waitlisted here but got into several other similar or higher ranked schools. Tech (along with NEU and UF) were safeties for my kid (a couple of years ago). He was waitlisted at Tech but got into the other two. I read all his essays and they were all of the same calibre. I may be biased about my kid's writing, but not so on a relative basis. We also know multiple kids that year and since with similar outcomes - didn't get into Tech, but did at higher ranked, more selective, schools. Can't explain that with "oh, they wrote poor essays because they were thinking it was a safety". No one does that.

Yield management is not the same thing as yield protection.

Yield management - 5000 highly qualified candidates apply but you have only 1000 slots. You make offers to ~1200 because you have data that shows ~20% will decline. You pick the 1200 by best guess as to good match based on the application.

Yield protection - 5000 highly qualified candidates apply, but you toss out the top 500 because you think they are overqualified and won’t accept even if offered admission. Then you select from the rest.

Every school has to manage yield. The more uncertainty in the process overall, the more they have to use the waitlist, because they can’t risk over enrollment.

Potaytoh, Potaahtoe!

Nope. I guess you just don’t understand the distinction?
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Not getting into a safety is not a new thing. Don't project.

NP. I think the point is no one should consider VT a safety.

This. And all of those complaining made it perfectly clear that they did consider VT a safety. That’s a mistake.