<p>Of course, more students headed to WashU doesn’t imply that it’s more prestigious than NU or U of C (and I don’t think that was the original intention of the statement, either); it just implies that more students applied and got in. Prestige is more accurately measured by yield, and WashU’s yield remains in the low 30s despite admitting quite a few students ED.</p>
<p>Also, it’s notable that WashU seems to waitlist top students to see if there’s any demonstrated interest at getting off the waitlist. They don’t want to admit students who don’t want to go there, which is reasonable, although I’m not sure I agree with the waitlist tactic.</p>