Anonymous wrote:I've often wondered if there was a bit of backroom dealing go on. If Student X applies to three similarly competitive schools, might they unofficially agree that one school accepts while the other two WL and that they have a bit of a "draft" system?
While this would be collusion in any real business (and probably is here too), it seems like a way to very accurately manage yield and it certainly doesn't seem likely to rise to the level of regulatory scrutiny based on the size, real world impact and audience.
They don't have the time or bandwidth to do this for random students, but perhaps if a VIP's kid is rejected, they call around to see whether he or she can be accepted elsewhere...?