On College Yield Projections

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ANGELA YANG
Editor In Chief

With most college admissions out, it’s pretty easy to get frustrated if a school you expected to get into (otherwise known as a safety school) has chosen to reject you instead. In some cases, this is a result of a practice known as yield projection, in which schools try to yield a higher number of attendees in relation to the students they accept. Basically, schools try to accept students who are more likely to attend their school over those who are not, even if they are more qualified.

Now this is not the case for every rejection letter — oftentimes, admissions officers might not think that you would be a good fit at their school. But if you’re feeling a bit down about getting rejected from a safety school, don’t fret. Be honest with yourself: it was a safety school because it wasn’t your top choice. Sure, it’s nice to have it there for security, but with this practice, spots go to people more likely to attend the school than you are. There’s little to no sense in a school accepting you if you do not want to entertain the notion of prioritizing it as one of your top choices.

Naturally, there are those who genuinely want to attend a school they were rejected from. Luckily for you, appeals exist for a reason. It’s important that, during this period of finally hearing back from schools, everyone keeps in mind that whatever happens is not the end of the world: if you didn’t get into the schools you wanted, there is no harm in attending another school or transferring from a community college. While it might seem like our futures are in someone else’s hands now, just remember that it’s up to you to control what you do with your life.