How common or rare is it for top kids to get shutout during RD due to yield management?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When your kid doesn't get into a selective school, it's because the process isn't competitive. It's not because your kid is "too good." That's a coping mechanism.

They didn't get in because their application didn't stand out in a really competitive process.

This just isn’t true. Many selective colleges do yield management. Maybe you’re not aware of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When your kid doesn't get into a selective school, it's because the process isn't competitive. It's not because your kid is "too good." That's a coping mechanism.

They didn't get in because their application didn't stand out in a really competitive process.

This just isn’t true. Many selective colleges do yield management. Maybe you’re not aware of it.

Demonstrated interest is part of the application. At some schools, it is a big deal.

[Anonymous]

Schools know when you added their app to common app.

If added in late December it will almost always leads to a Rejection or WL at best.

[Anonymous]

It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

[Anonymous]

Important that the Safety colleges are true safeties, meaning admission is assured, even if they are not DC's high preferences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Schools know when you added their app to common app.

If added in late December it will almost always leads to a Rejection or WL at best.

This is underappreciated by those who shotgun after an ED rejection.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

Disagree bc some schools ask for different things than other schools. Let’s say Brown asked for 3 (teacher, counselor and other) and u Chicago asks for 3 but wants two teachers out of those 3).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

I don’t understand this. If the recs are mediocre, why would they get into a MORE selective school and not a less selective school?

Ex. Super high stats. 1550+ 4.0 uw 12APs. Cohesive (and authentic) story and strong ECs. But no national awards or truly unique depth. But assume mediocre recs. Is there a world where they would get into Cornell/Vanderbilt/Northwestern but not Lehigh/Wake/ Lafayette?

I’m not seeing it if poor recs are the problem. If recs keep them out at the latter, I would assume the same would also be true at the former.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

I don’t understand this. If the recs are mediocre, why would they get into a MORE selective school and not a less selective school?

Ex. Super high stats. 1550+ 4.0 uw 12APs. Cohesive (and authentic) story and strong ECs. But no national awards or truly unique depth. But assume mediocre recs. Is there a world where they would get into Cornell/Vanderbilt/Northwestern but not Lehigh/Wake/ Lafayette?

I’m not seeing it if poor recs are the problem. If recs keep them out at the latter, I would assume the same would also be true at the former.

I think you are agreeing with the PP?
I agree a bad rec (if sent to all schools), would keep you out of the rest.

Now, to your other question: my kid got into Cornell through RD, was waitlisted at Wake in RD (I think it was yield because the kids from our high school who went had slightly lower stats).

[Anonymous]

I’m continuing to wonder about this re Michigan this year.

Two of DCs friends were just accepted EA OOS after being deferred ED in December. It’s amazing news for them and for the school!! They’re both great kids - smart, interesting, engaged in the school community, and well-liked by teachers. Exactly the kids we all want to see succeed in this crazy unpredictable process!!

Here’s our question, though. DC loves Michigan but it’s their second choice so they applied EA in October after applying ED to their first choice. They were deferred from the other school ED and are now waiting to hear from Michigan.

Concerned that Michigan will see the situation for what it is - not first chiice. And then what - defer? Reject?

In addition to not applying ED, DC has higher stats and rigor than their two friends who got in earlier this month. 1550+ and more APs, including Calc BC as a junior etc. Worried that Michigan will yield protect because they think DC is pushing for Ivy and using Michigan as a “back up,”, but they’re NOT. It’s just that one ED deferred school.

Any advice? Should DC send Michigan an “update” or LOCI next week, before the 1/31 decisions are made? Or just let it ride?

(I recognize this probably sounds overwrought/neurotic. Because it is. 😢 DC seems fine, but I’m struggling with the uncertainty/opacity of it all.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

I don’t understand this. If the recs are mediocre, why would they get into a MORE selective school and not a less selective school?

Ex. Super high stats. 1550+ 4.0 uw 12APs. Cohesive (and authentic) story and strong ECs. But no national awards or truly unique depth. But assume mediocre recs. Is there a world where they would get into Cornell/Vanderbilt/Northwestern but not Lehigh/Wake/ Lafayette?

I’m not seeing it if poor recs are the problem. If recs keep them out at the latter, I would assume the same would also be true at the former.

I think you are agreeing with the PP?
I agree a bad rec (if sent to all schools), would keep you out of the rest.

Now, to your other question: my kid got into Cornell through RD, was waitlisted at Wake in RD (I think it was yield because the kids from our high school who went had slightly lower stats).

Oops. You’re right. I read the previous post wrong. Did you visit Wake in person? Have it on the Common App list from the beginning?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

I don’t understand this. If the recs are mediocre, why would they get into a MORE selective school and not a less selective school?

Ex. Super high stats. 1550+ 4.0 uw 12APs. Cohesive (and authentic) story and strong ECs. But no national awards or truly unique depth. But assume mediocre recs. Is there a world where they would get into Cornell/Vanderbilt/Northwestern but not Lehigh/Wake/ Lafayette?

I’m not seeing it if poor recs are the problem. If recs keep them out at the latter, I would assume the same would also be true at the former.

I think you are agreeing with the PP?
I agree a bad rec (if sent to all schools), would keep you out of the rest.

Now, to your other question: my kid got into Cornell through RD, was waitlisted at Wake in RD (I think it was yield because the kids from our high school who went had slightly lower stats).

Oops. You’re right. I read the previous post wrong. Did you visit Wake in person? Have it on the Common App list from the beginning?

Yes, DC visited Wake in person, met with the rep when at school, etc. No interview, though, bc of the timing of the app. No video. Yes, Wake was on Common App from the summer. Our HS sends 2-4 kids to Wake every year.

The enrollment management data determines which students are likely to matriculate from which high schools, and it is very data-driven. DC ended up with multiple higher-ranked options in RD. Feel like the EM data knew this would happen (I have no idea how) and knew Wake wasn't a top 2 choice (bc didn't ED2).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is impossible to know. Qualified kids are shut out bc of:

- institutional priorities
- DI not shown enough
- why us essay shows student doesn’t truly love or understand the school
- more qualified kids from the same school applied at the same time
- major selected
- yield protection
- mistake in app (telling Yale you can’t wait to go to Princeton)
- mediocre essays
- mediocre letters of rec

Etc

Often its not this, if the same kid gets into more selective/higher ranked schools.
Agree with the others.

I don’t understand this. If the recs are mediocre, why would they get into a MORE selective school and not a less selective school?

Ex. Super high stats. 1550+ 4.0 uw 12APs. Cohesive (and authentic) story and strong ECs. But no national awards or truly unique depth. But assume mediocre recs. Is there a world where they would get into Cornell/Vanderbilt/Northwestern but not Lehigh/Wake/ Lafayette?

I’m not seeing it if poor recs are the problem. If recs keep them out at the latter, I would assume the same would also be true at the former.

I think you are agreeing with the PP?
I agree a bad rec (if sent to all schools), would keep you out of the rest.

Now, to your other question: my kid got into Cornell through RD, was waitlisted at Wake in RD (I think it was yield because the kids from our high school who went had slightly lower stats).

Oops. You’re right. I read the previous post wrong. Did you visit Wake in person? Have it on the Common App list from the beginning?

Yes, DC visited Wake in person, met with the rep when at school, etc. No interview, though, bc of the timing of the app. No video. Yes, Wake was on Common App from the summer. Our HS sends 2-4 kids to Wake every year.

The enrollment management data determines which students are likely to matriculate from which high schools, and it is very data-driven. DC ended up with multiple higher-ranked options in RD. Feel like the EM data knew this would happen (I have no idea how) and knew Wake wasn't a top 2 choice (bc didn't ED2).

Super helpful. Though not encouraging. 😂

One difference is that we’re in the midwest and though Wake sent a rep again this year, few kids at DCs hs tend to apply/go there. Not sure if that’s cuts for or against DC. We’ll see in a few months ….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our counselor thought some of our
DC’s results (class of ‘29), were yield management, in particular getting wait listed by Tulane, Tufts and Carnegie Mellon while getting accepted at 2 Ivies, Williams, Amherst, Rice and others. However, it made sense to us, why wouldn’t a college prioritize students more likely to attend??
Just have a balanced list and if your student truly has an interest in one of the schools that is known for this (it’s called Tufts Syndrome for a reason) they likely need to ED

Carnegie Mellon doesn't really engage in yield management. Amherst, Williams Tufts and Tulane makes me think it was just a bad fit.