Crapshoot nature of admissions?

Colleges and Universities A-Z New York University
1

<p>From this and some of the other boards, I get a feeling that admissions at many of the elite colleges is a virtual crapshoot, ie sometimes candidates who seem much stronger on paper don't get in, while weaker ones do get in. </p>

<p>Does anybody else feel this way also? </p>

<p>As for me personally, I was waitlisted at Harvard, but outright rejected at Washington U...how does this happen??? </p>

<p>I was also accepted to Cornell (CAS), Brown, NYU (CAS)--these 3 are my top choices right now (I was accepted to couple safeties like BU and UMich as well). Yet somehow, I was waitlisted at Tufts, not that I would have ever went since I got into to the other ones, but its very strange.</p>

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<p>I was accepted into Harvard, but waitlisted at Wash U. My good friend got into princeton, but was rejected at dartmouth, wesleyan, and northwestern.</p>

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<p>Interesting stories Safiamike. It seems to be this way this year much more so than every year.</p>

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<p>Its called Tufts Syndrome--when a school strategically waitlists or rejects a candidate they think is using them as a safety. Tufts and WUSTL are NOTORIOUS for doing this (hence the name). I would say some top schools besides Harvard and Yale do this also, but probably to a much lesser exent to than WUSTL and Tufts.</p>