Yield protection?

[echamberlin8]

I'm curious what the general guidelines are for Why ___? essays. In what situations should you write them? Are there certain schools other than Penn that it is important to write them for?

Write a Why X essay for any school that you have legitimate and specific reasons for wanting to attend. It really can't hurt you if that is the case, even if you are not worried about YP.

If there is anything about you that would make the school question whether you would attend if you were admitted, it is even more important to write a Why X. For example, if your numbers are high enough to get you into a higher ranked school, or if you have no visible ties to the area the school is in, a Why X essay is particularly helpful.

A Why X essay is not necessary for HYS because they already assume you have good reasons to attend if admitted (this is generally the case for CCN as well, though there may be exceptions). The only other time a Why X essay is NOT recommended is if you can't come up with any decent answer to "Why do you want to attend this school?"

Thanks for the advice!

[ahnhub]

Hi I really like Upenn and i'm extremely interested in potentially going there. My GPA is a 3.82 and my LSAT is 173. Am I at risk of not getting in because of yp. If so what should i do to ensure they dont do that. I am planning on writing a why penn, is there a best way to express my real interest in the school. Someone said the ideal range is 170-172 for acceptance, but mines only barely over that so im curious.

If the reason a school WL you is YP, it should actually be fairly easy to get off the WL--you write a Letter of Continuing Interest which stresses how much you would like to attend; perhaps even that the school is your first choice. Multiple people on TLS have posted that they got off the WL and got schollies days after writing an LOCI to schools like Michigan, UVA, etc. I can't remember if I've seen anyone claim the same for Penn--maybe this is a question you could pose for incoming Penn students. I can't think of a rational reason for them to just dislike high LSAT scores on principle.

[Real Madrid]

Pardon me if this has been covered. I did a search, but the most relevant responses were from several years ago.

So I'm curious about how yield protection plays out. I've read here that Penn, for one, is notorious for waitlisting/rejecting applicants well above both medians--but in my case, while my LSAT score is way above their 75th percentile, my UGPA is just barely higher than their 25th. Should I be drafting a "Why Penn" essay based on my LSAT, or will my GPA keep me in standard contention?

And other than Penn (and Michigan, about whom I've heard similar things), who's especially known for yield protection? Geographic flexibility is a factor for me in my ultimate decision (partner's psych residency won't be set in stone until early spring), so I want to maximize my options.

As always, thanks for your wisdom, TLS.

The worst offender as far as yield protection is concerned is UVA by a mile. They have become so obsessed with inflating their fake medians and gaming the rankings it's pathetic. Just look at all the yellow on LSN this year and years past. In fact, I'm pretty sure they actually call most WLed students to gauge their current interest before offering them a spot in the class so they won't offer a spot to someone that isn't going to take it. They also have the most egregious school-funded program of any T14 in order to game the rankings on the back end as well. They really ought to be embarrassed.

/off soapbox

[ahnhub]

Do you get penalized by USNews' formula if you WL someone then accept them?

[soj]

Do you get penalized by USNews' formula if you WL someone then accept them?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure WL-Accepts count as acceptances in the acceptance rate formula (# of acceptances divided by # of applications).

[lc.]

My numbers are both above 75 percentile but Penn is one of my top two school choices. There didn't seem to be an option for writing "Why X" this cycle.. Will they look favorably if I visit in the fall and write a letter saying I enjoyed it? Or is it always an option to include "Why X" even if not stated in application instructions. Thank you!!

[AntipodeanPhil]

My numbers are both above 75 percentile but Penn is one of my top two school choices. There didn't seem to be an option for writing "Why X" this cycle..

One of the optional essay prompts usually allows you to write a "Why X." Last year, you had to describe how Penn Law would help you achieve your "5 year plan."

This year, the "Why X" prompt seems to be the following:

Dean Michael A. Fitts has highlighted the core strengths that make Penn Law the best place to receive a rigorous and engaging legal education: genuine integration with associated disciplines; transformative, forward-looking faculty scholarship; highly-regarded experiential learning through urban clinics and our pro bono pledge; innovative, hands-on global engagement; and a manifest commitment to professional development and collegiality. These are the qualities that define Penn Law. What defines you? How do your goals and values match Penn Law’s core strengths?

It looks like they're trying to make it a bit easier for you, since they now describe what they think makes Penn different in the prompt itself. In my year we had to go looking for that

Also, to add my own anecdotal experience, I was accepted to 3 of the 4 HYSCCN schools I applied to, but waitlisted at Penn, even though I spent a long time carefully crafting a "Why Penn?"

[Yukos]

Is there a number combination that would get you WL/rejected from CCN but YP'd from MVP? That would be hilariously bad luck (unless it was you, then it wouldn't be hilarious).