<p>I’ve read somewhere on the boards that Yale will defer if the applicant is so strong that they are almost guaranteed RD decision admission—maybe I’m wrong about that though.</p>
<p>In that case, it explains silverturtle’s decision…</p>
<p>^lololololol Best rhetorical question ever.</p>
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<p>They accept the strongest applicants SCEA and defer those that are borderline. They have no incentive to postphone the admission of the most qualified applicants.</p>
<p>^ I agree with glassesarechic, though I would add that Yale apparently has a very liberal conception of “borderline.”</p>
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Don’t confuse “qualified” with “students Yale wants.” Those aren’t the same, and a simple read of the results thread will demonstrate this is the case. Yale may really want a kid from Idaho for geographical diversity, for example. That’s not the same as “most qualified.”</p>
<p>It’s not like Yale has a numbered list of candidates in order of how “qualified” candidates are. It’s much more complicated than that. And for all we know, there may be strategic reasons why some students are deferred and others accepted SCEA. I’ve heard speculation that legacies are more likely to be admitted SCEA (because they are likely to enroll) and that they are more likely to be deferred (because they are likely to enroll even if they are deferred and then admitted RD). Who knows? The thing to do is to worry about your own strategy.</p>
<p>If Yale accepted the most qualified their IQR SAT score range wouldn’t be ~2000-2300…</p>
<p>Hunt - the puzzle analogy is a good one!</p>
<p>^I liked it too :)</p>
<p>I am in the process of browsing College Confidential’s early admissions discussions and it’s very unsettling reading all the wild and gloriously absurd suspicions of why an application was deferred or rejected (e.g., not listing a prospective major, submitting less than 24 or 48 hours before the deadline, being victimized by an insufficient reading of the application and, by implication, disorganization in the admissions office, and – the winner of them all – yield protection). It’s merely Yale’s policy to dispense a large number of deferrals in the early round and a deferral to anyone shouldn’t come as a bombshell. A lack of finality can be distressing and downright irritating for those who perceived themselves as worthy, but always understand that it solely denotes a postponed decision, not “closed consideration.”</p>
<p>It should be well understood that even if a portion of one’s early admission strategy is to nab at least one acceptance at an upper-tier institution, then Yale is a clearly bad choice save for particular priority candidates (e.g., athletic recruits, certain legacies). When many students apply to Yale through it’s SCEA program, what they actually aren’t striving for is a Yale acceptance, per se, but admission to an “upper-tier” institution. If the latter (rather than the former) is the priority, then applying to a range of EA options is a far more tactical maneuver and better targets what the applicant is specifically aiming to achieve. If limiting the number of RD applications is in any way a priority for economic reasons or to curb total exertion, then it is rarely advantageous to send one application (per the SCEA stipulation) at the expense of several. While acceptance to Yale or Stanford may substantially diminish the number of RD applications or conveniently finalize the process, for the majority of students it is often more realistic to apply more broadly in the early round and consequently enhance the prospects of admittance somewhere. Subsequently, with a better assurance of success, RD applications may be reduced to a more moderate level. Frequently, the stability in such strategy is not only more economically favorable, but also more psychologically and emotionally appeasing. </p>
<p>Being rebuffed by a deferral or rejection may be upsetting, but there are, of course, a multitude of additional options. Nonetheless, unfavorable news shouldn’t merit submission of an excessive number of additional applications. For some students the news triggers an irrational compulsion to apply in an absurd submission spree, which is entirely misaligned with a rational course of action. The time is better spent perfecting other applications and applying to a reasonable number of other universities of varying levels of selectivity. Some students will apply to the top institutions and uniformly obtain admission in the RD round. But it’s exceptionally rare that there exists an application that isn’t entirely fungible with many others insofar as credentials and each university’s magnitude of interest are concerned. Therefore, it shouldn’t necessarily be off-putting if one’s personal anticipations of success do not ideally accord with the actual results. Even universities at comparable levels of selectively do not apply uniform admissions standards. With that in mind, an application strategy that sensibly coordinates one’s attractions with a fair-minded understanding of one’s competitive punch will produce a favorable range of options come April 1.</p>
<p>^ you speak (slightly verbose) truth. Fungible is a very cool word though :)</p>
<p>I agree with everything that mifune wrote.</p>
<p>Silverturtle,</p>
<p>You have been a great role model over the last few days as I have read your comments since you received your news from Yale. I am impressed with your level of maturity and your willingness to help others. I can’t wait to learn what college you select and career path you embark on. I rarely post responses, but I wanted to take a moment to applaud you as you finish up the rest of your applications.</p>
<p>The puzzle analogy works well, and especially as none of us has the remotest idea of what the picture on the puzzle box looks like.</p>
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<p>This is most probably what happened to my D last year. She had a pretty strong application already but it was clear that the period between October and February was going to challenge her like never before, both in the curricular and extracurricular arenas. Her strong showing in this period probably gave Yale the reassurance that it needed to accept her in the Spring.</p>
<p>To the deferred applicants: instead of spending too much time feeling sorry for yourself, try to focus on accomplishing a lot in the next couple of months, and send it to Yale and your other schools in the form of an update. It will help you.</p>