Bush v. Gorgeous wrote:mliaw wrote:Hey guys. I applied through the Priority Track and heard back today, and was placed on Priority Reserve. I am having trouble interpreting this decision, and would really appreciate some help. Through looking at other applicants from this cycle as well as previous cycles, it seems that many applicants who were placed on Priority Reserve were victims of yield protection, with high 170+ LSAT scores, respectable GPAs (3.4 to 3.7), and did not write a Why Duke Essay.
However, I do not believe that I fall into this category of yield protection. I have a 168 LSAT score and 3.95 GPA (from a Top 25 University), I wrote a Why Duke essay, and I believe that I have decent soft factors.
Could someone please clarify whether or not I was placed on Priority Reserve due to yield protection, and if not, what this implies? Additionally, I applied to practically every T14 as well as USC and UCLA, and am concerned what this means for my chances at other, higher-ranked schools.
Thanks and best of luck to all of you!!
P.S.
On a related note, does yield protection only apply to an applicant whose LSAT score is too high, or does yield protection also affect applicants whose GPA is too high?
I don’t think anyone can tell you definitively whether or not YP was a factor. People admitted by PT this cycle have been all over the board, including many with numbers over 75th for both LSAT and GPA. The reality is that there is no magic formula. Law school, grad school, etc - numbers are important but not everything, and an applicant that shines for one school may not spark the same enthusiasm in another. This in no way determines what will happen through your cycle...and you’ll very possibly be offered a spot at Duke! Just try not to stress too much (and I realize how tough that is / I have many crazy moments). Best of luck!
OP, this is certainly not YP. Your lsat is good, but not YP type number.