Does it matter if safety schools know they're your safety school?

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super112

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It seems that they may place your application on hold if your stats are too much above their averages. Is there a general rule on which safety schools to choose to avoid them putting you on THEIR safety list? For example, in my case (22 AA; 22 TS; 3.44 BCP & Overall; 3.33 science (but with upward trend up to 3.7 term sGPA)) Would these school stats (17 AA; 17 TS; 3.20 Overall; 3.10 science) make a good pick?

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Look up yield protection. Although there is no clear proof that it happens, if I were an adcom, I'd give my acceptance to someone interested in the school with average stats over someone with much higher stats that might not even go to the school. However, that's not to say higher stat people are automatically rejected to some of these schools that their stats are above. Maybe they don't fit the schools mission, maybe they suck at interviews, maybe the student absolutely shows no interest in the school and makes it clear that they made the school a "back up". As @DATtestTho can attest to, there are no safety schools when it comes to professional schools, there are too many applicants to few seats that anything could happen.
 
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I never heard from a few OOS schools that were my backup schools and I never bothered asking why.
 
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It seems that they may place your application on hold if your stats are too much above their averages. Is there a general rule on which safety schools to choose to avoid them putting you on THEIR safety list? For example, in my case (22 AA; 22 TS; 3.44 BCP & Overall; 3.33 science (but with upward trend up to 3.7 term sGPA)) Would these school stats (17 AA; 17 TS; 3.20 Overall; 3.10 science) make a good pick?

.................I worry about getting in a school. and There is someone worrying his/her stats is too high for some of the schools to take him/her seriously

:zip:

I think all schools should aim to recruit/attract the best applicants they can get. That is why waitlist exist.
 
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That's why I purposely aimed for a 3.31 oGPA... that way no schools could turn me down! :rolleyes::cool:
 
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Look up yield protection. Although there is no clear proof that it happens, if I were an adcom, I'd give my acceptance to someone interested in the school with average stats over someone with much higher stats that might not even go to the school. However, that's not to say higher stat people are automatically rejected to some of these schools that their stats are above. Maybe they don't fit the schools mission, maybe they suck at interviews, maybe the student absolutely shows no interest in the school and makes it clear that they made the school a "back up". As @DATtestTho can attest to, there are no safety schools when it comes to professional schools, there are too many applicants to few seats that anything could happen.
How do they know you're "interested" in the school? Is that from questions on secondaries? I feel like if you apply, they should assume you're interested unless you get to the interview and show absolutely no desire to be there.
 
How do they know you're "interested" in the school? Is that from questions on secondaries? I feel like if you apply, they should assume you're interested unless you get to the interview and show absolutely no desire to be there.
Aside from secondaries/interviews I have no clue honestly.
 
Aside from secondaries/interviews I have no clue honestly.
I hope they don't rule out people who have above average stats. I don't know how to say that without it sounding like a humblebrag but this makes me all paranoid
 
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Sweet. And it's not like I have a 4.0 and a 29AA so hopefully it'll all work out. Thanks :)

Oh yes what BR said, sorry didn't mean to make it seem like it is a for sure thing, its just be aware that if you get declined even after a great interview and App, that might be why.
 
Imo

I think every dental school will always have there seats filled, no matter what...

Those who live closest, keep them on standby !

That's how I would do it....

Who cares if they are a safety school, and wth does that mean?

Dental school is dental school!

If anything your safety school will cost you
 
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Oh yes what BR said, sorry didn't mean to make it seem like it is a for sure thing, its just be aware that if you get declined even after a great interview and App, that might be why.
Thanks! I don't even have safety schools. I'd be happy going anywhere I apply. Otherwise, why bother applying?
 
How do they know you're "interested" in the school? Is that from questions on secondaries? I feel like if you apply, they should assume you're interested unless you get to the interview and show absolutely no desire to be there.
I read up on yield protection and "tufts syndrome" and it seems that if your average is well above their averages, they'll rightfully assume that you can get accepted somewhere else. They more or less don't want to waste their time during the application cycle on someone that considers them a "last choice". FYI apparently during secondaries some schools ask you to rank the schools you applied to...so curb your honesty if need be!
 
Wouldn't it be funny if they actually misjudged the circumstances and end up loosing an otherwise well qualified applicant? Or is this another one of those myths which, like a stubborn week, keeps coming up?
 
Check the Midwestern - AZ thread and the answer to your question will be solved...
 
I read up on yield protection and "tufts syndrome" and it seems that if your average is well above their averages, they'll rightfully assume that you can get accepted somewhere else. They more or less don't want to waste their time during the application cycle on someone that considers them a "last choice". FYI apparently during secondaries some schools ask you to rank the schools you applied to...so curb your honesty if need be!

Why is it called "tufts" syndrome?
 
Why is it called "tufts" syndrome?

Because people that really want to go to Harvard use Tufts as their "Safety" and Tufts is ultra-protective of their yield for undergrad.
 
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Why is it called "tufts" syndrome?
I can only assume it has something to do with Tufts dental school. The terms "yield protection" and "tufts syndrome" are used synonymously however. So My only guess this topic popped up a lot with that school in the past.
 
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http://www.forums.studentdoctor.net...-Acceptance-Rejection-Thread-*~*~*~*.1145480/

Whoops. It's this one. A bunch of people with high stats got rejected really early from Midwestern.

You also have a bunch of people with high stats get interviews.

I've known people with well above average scores get interviews at all schools they apply to and get in at every school interviewed at. (Regardless of how much higher his stats were)

If you seem like a fit for the school and what they need they'll take you, regardless of your score (unless you blew it).

Worst case scenario is they fill your spot with someone else if you don't accept. It's really not that much of a burden to interview people with high stats. Just like we apply broadly hoping to get lucky into some schools, adcoms interview broadly hoping to get lucky with some above average students.
 
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You also have a bunch of people with high stats get interviews.

I've known people with well above average scores get interviews at all schools they apply to and get in at every school interviewed at. (Regardless of how much higher his stats were)

If you seem like a fit for the school and what they need they'll take you, regardless of your score (unless you blew it).

Worst case scenario is they fill your spot with someone else if you don't accept. It's really not that much of a burden to interview people with high stats. Just like we apply broadly hoping to get lucky into some schools, adcoms interview broadly hoping to get lucky with some above average students.

Myth busted
 
You also have a bunch of people with high stats get interviews.

I've known people with well above average scores get interviews at all schools they apply to and get in at every school interviewed at. (Regardless of how much higher his stats were)

If you seem like a fit for the school and what they need they'll take you, regardless of your score (unless you blew it).

Worst case scenario is they fill your spot with someone else if you don't accept. It's really not that much of a burden to interview people with high stats. Just like we apply broadly hoping to get lucky into some schools, adcoms interview broadly hoping to get lucky with some above average students.
:thumbup:
I'm below average height. Maybe that will help me "fit in"
(on a side note, maybe dental schools appreciate terrible jokes)
 
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