<p>Princeton's alumni network is full of people who not only LOVE their alma mater, but who are also very loyal to current undergraduates. Many of these alumni are older (some of them in their '70s) - and they are quite lively Tigers. I agree Ricardo, it's cool for people of all ages to love their favorite schools. It's all in good fun.</p>
<p>So Byerly, are you really a Harvard admissions officer (or were you ever one previsouly)? I'm just curious. It just doesn't make sense to me why someone with such an important occupation would waste their time lingering among prospective Ivy applicants? Why have you read all the applicants' and their mommies' and daddies' posts "throughout the years" (as you said yourself)? Do you expect to increase Harvard's yield? Do you expect to find the best applicants in the world on CC? Why are you talking to teenagers all day long? .....Or are you simply a confused, adolescent CCer, yourself - pretending to be someone you're not; flaunting credentials that you don't truly have?</p>
<p>There are rumors that Byerly is a very very old Harvard alumni - I think he went there when Harvard opened its doors. There are also rumors that some one very close to him (off spring or grand kid)was rejected by all the ivies except Cornell. This may explain why he does not bash cornell. Rumor also has it that he is determined to prove his loyalty to Harvard with a hope that the legacy hook may work for his other kinfolks. There are other rumors too. One of them is that he is/was very stingy. He never proved his value to mother H ($ wise). Now, he wants to demonstrate that he can incresse # of applicants, increase # of applicants from podunk towns, increase the cross admit rate and yield - all without spending a dime.</p>
<p>Other rumor is that he is just having fun with kids.</p>
<p>It would be pretty hard for me to do anything to raise the yield rate above the level achieved this year! Looks like all the Harvasrd-bashing has had the opposite effect of what was intended!</p>
<p>Harvard's yield rate historically has been good and has nothing to do with bashing on cc. Furthermore, Princeton wannabes, Yale wannabes, Stanford wannabes, etc., will all enthusiastically choose their schools for a multitude of other reasons and despite any bashing... (and Harvard wannabes despite Byerly).</p>
<p>no more effect on yield, apparently, than (forced) presidential resignations and plagiarism scandals. at least for "the teflon university" - we'll have to see about the effect for duke.</p>
<p>As I read it, Ms. Rapelye anticipates a "melt" of around 19. If she is correct, wouldn't that put the overall yield rate at 68% - the same as last year?</p>
<p>As I just posted on the thread about yield, the numbers are up from were they were at this point last year. Summer melt will presumably occur in about the same numbers in both years, so this year's yield will still be higher.</p>