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.
If you are at their 25th GPA, I wouldn’t say that is nec a yield protect. But yeah, I would do what you can to get in, because if you are at 25th GPA, you will have a hard time getting into any better schools imo.
Yes, write a Why Penn. If you are already thinking about this more than 2 months before applications will be available, then there is no excuse to not write a Why X for every school you apply to that TLS suggests would appreciate seeing one.
Just an anecdote, but my stats sound similar to yours though my GPA is a bit lower (see profile or LSN) – I did not write any optional essays for Penn and was WLed despite being accepted at NYU, Columbia, and Chicago (after WL). I don’t think this was YP but I don’t care either way. I should have written a Why Penn and so should you.
yeah, ad comms already have a lot to read and so if your file lands with a thunk on their desk due to a personal statement, diversity statement, 4 letters of rec, resume, addendum, and then a why X…they might just say fuck this and skip you.
Also, why X are generally not necessary for schools like HLS, YLS, or SLS since they know they are the shit
If you really have an LSAT well above the 75th but a GPA below the 25th at Penn you’re in bad shape. It seems counter intuitive, but Penn is one school where having an LSAT in the 170-172 range is better than having a higher LSAT.
My cycle is odd and MIGHT say something about yp. who knows. Figured id share
h - w/l
y - w/l
s - w/l
c - w/l
c - w/l
n - rejected
p - $$
b - rejected
m - $$
v - $$
d - $$
nu - Accepted
gulc - Accepted
UCLA - Rejected
Regional Tier 1 - $$$.
Thanks for the replies, crew. My 3.59 GPA isn’t currently setting any worlds on fire, but I was just curious how being well above their LSAT 75th would affect me. Sounds like I don’t fit the profile, which is both nice and troubling, because Penn owns bones.
hyperbole…obviously they read your file no matter how much material there is in it…but you cant deny that on a human level, they’re probably a bit pissed and are thinking “there better be something in here worth my time”…and so even if you are on the fence, it probably will not turn out well for you
Well, I have the exact same numbers as you; 3.59 and a 178. I wrote the why penn but none of their other optional essays and was wait-listed. It seems that will likely be your fate. But if you really want penn, write at least one of their optional essays and the why penn. You’ll probably get wait-listed anyway, but it can’t hurt to show you’re interested.
What about ED applicants though? There were probably a lot more in the 170-172 range than 175+ range, which could partially account for the higher acceptance rate