How do I avoid yield protection? (527 / 4.0)

[princeofmediocrity]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi everyone,

I am wondering about yield protection and to what extent that exists as well as to what extent I may be able to curtail it.

I am a VA resident with a 527 MCAT and 4.0 GPA. In many cases this puts me several MCAT points above the 90th percentile matriculant for schools I am applying to.

I have a pretty solid application otherwise (I think) with no red flags, solid ECs, great letters, the whole nine.

I am a bit worried about yield protection, especially at some of the state schools and "lower-tier schools" I am applying to. Examples include VCU, Iowa Carver, Cincinnati, Rochester, Hofstra, and Einstein. Is there any good way to avoid this?

I'm especially concerned about Einstein, not so much that they're "known" for yield protecting or whatnot but moreso I want to signal that they are one of my absolute top choices (due largely to the fact that they are $400-450k less expensive than many T20 private MDs when you factor in tuition+interest through residency).

I would really hate to get rejected/waitlisted there because someone doubted I would attend.

Same with the other programs I mentioned, even through it is true that in many cases I would attend a higher ranked program if finances were relatively comparable. I want to have options of course.

Anyways, if anyone has ideas about how I might avoid yield protection so I can make sure I attend a solid program (or Einstein especially, fingers crossed!), I would appreciate it.

Thanks again!

 

[Faha]

Your state public schools will not "yield protect". Schools such as Washington University (in St. Louis) and Vanderbilt like high stat applicants. Einstein, Rochester, Hofstra and Cincinnati will not "yield protect".

 

[LizzyM]

Is there any reason you would expect U VA not to admit you? Is Einstein less expensive that U VA for you as an in-state applicant? You've got your answer right there as to why Einstein might yield protect you. Would you pay full-tuition at Einstein if you also had a 50% tuition scholarship at Wash U in St. Louis? There's another reason to yield protect. The school that knows that it can't compete on price or prestige will yield protect itself when faced with a highly desirable candidate. Don't collect offers just to collect them. Apply to the 15 or 20 schools you will attend if offered a slot and be done with it.

 

[princeofmediocrity]

Is there any reason you would expect U VA not to admit you? Is Einstein less expensive that U VA for you as an in-state applicant? You've got your answer right there as to why Einstein might yield protect you. Would you pay full-tuition at Einstein if you also had a 50% tuition scholarship at Wash U in St. Louis? There's another reason to yield protect. The school that knows that it can't compete on price or prestige will yield protect itself when faced with a highly desirable candidate. Don't collect offers just to collect them. Apply to the 15 or 20 schools you will attend if offered a slot and be done with it.

Not particularly, I think I have an excellent chance at UVA, but Einstein is tuition free now, so it is way less expensive than UVA for me. To the tune of ~215k plus interest for however many years. Barring a large merit scholarship at UVA or elsewhere, I'd attend Einstein.

I'm not really interested in super competitive (or well-paid) specialties and will need to pay full sticker anywhere I go, so cost will be a big factor for me. WashU 50% tuition would be an interesting question though, since a powerhouse like that would have some advantages in terms of clinical training, research, and other opportunities.

 

[LizzyM]

Wash U is pretty well known for offering big scholarships (sometimes 100%) to high MCAT applicants. I had forgotten about the big gift to Einstein. You'll be in line with every other 4.0/524 and you'll need to really make the case for WHY Einstein in keeping with their mission etc. If you had that free ride and Wash U's, or NYU, or wherever else, how would you choose?

 

[princeofmediocrity]

Wash U is pretty well known for offering big scholarships (sometimes 100%) to high MCAT applicants. I had forgotten about the big gift to Einstein. You'll be in line with every other 4.0/524 and you'll need to really make the case for WHY Einstein in keeping with their mission etc. If you had that free ride and Wash U's, or NYU, or wherever else, how would you choose?

Fair enough. I would certainly choose NYU or WashU, to your point. However, such offers are of course far from guaranteed.

I also do have some mission fit with Einstein due to their location, focus, and clinical population especially in my areas of interest. I will be sure to highlight this point in interviews, and also if their secondaries provide a "Why Einstein" or the like.

Thank you very much for your advice!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Previously

Thread 'Deleted'

Jun 2, 2025

Deleted

• princeofmediocrity
• Replies: 2
• Forum: What Are My Chances? WAMC Medical

Your in-state programs should not exclude you due to yield protection. However, they could exclude you if your profile clearly doesn't fit with their mission and offerings. They can make the call because of their experience with other applicants with a similar profile as yours.

Again, you need 250 hours of service orientation experience MINIMUM to keep pace with other applicants with your metrics. Your mission fit with a place like Einstein isn't just about where you have lived... your actions and history must back your vision.

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone,

I am wondering about yield protection and to what extent that exists as well as to what extent I may be able to curtail it.

I am a VA resident with a 527 MCAT and 4.0 GPA. In many cases this puts me several MCAT points above the 90th percentile matriculant for schools I am applying to.

I have a pretty solid application otherwise (I think) with no red flags, solid ECs, great letters, the whole nine.

I am a bit worried about yield protection, especially at some of the state schools and "lower-tier schools" I am applying to. Examples include VCU, Iowa Carver, Cincinnati, Rochester, Hofstra, and Einstein. Is there any good way to avoid this?

I'm especially concerned about Einstein, not so much that they're "known" for yield protecting or whatnot but moreso I want to signal that they are one of my absolute top choices (due largely to the fact that they are $400-450k less expensive than many T20 private MDs when you factor in tuition+interest through residency).

I would really hate to get rejected/waitlisted there because someone doubted I would attend.

Same with the other programs I mentioned, even through it is true that in many cases I would attend a higher ranked program if finances were relatively comparable. I want to have options of course.

Anyways, if anyone has ideas about how I might avoid yield protection so I can make sure I attend a solid program (or Einstein especially, fingers crossed!), I would appreciate it.

Thanks again!

None of those schools will resource protect you.

 

[princeofmediocrity]

None of those schools will resource protect you.

I think you were wrong about this. I've received several T20 interviews yet have been rejected from Hofstra and Iowa. At this point, none of those other schools I mentioned being worried about have interviewed me except VCU, where I was accepted (in state so makes sense).

There may be some aspect of mission fit in play (especially for Einstein), but do you really believe there was NO aspect of "resource protection" at some of these more upper-mid tier MD schools explaining why none of them offered me an interview?

How am to believe that I am not only qualified for, but "good enough" to be interviewed at e.g. T5 ivies yet Hofstra doesn't think I'm worth the time to interview for reasons totally separate from yield protection?

To be fair, their resource protection (which I absolutely believe is in play here) does seem to be logical considering how things have shaken out, but I don't think your analysis was correct overall.

 

[Goro]

I think you were wrong about this. I've received several T20 interviews yet have been rejected from Hofstra and Iowa. At this point, none of those other schools I mentioned being worried about have interviewed me except VCU, where I was accepted (in state so makes sense).

There may be some aspect of mission fit in play (especially for Einstein), but do you really believe there was NO aspect of "resource protection" at some of these more upper-mid tier MD schools explaining why none of them offered me an interview?

How am to believe that I am not only qualified for, but "good enough" to be interviewed at e.g. T5 ivies yet Hofstra doesn't think I'm worth the time to interview for reasons totally separate from yield protection?

To be fair, their resource protection (which I absolutely believe is in play here) does seem to be logical considering how things have shaken out, but I don't think your analysis was correct overall.

I cannot assess a case in point. Perhaps you did not fully explain why you were a good fit for those schools.

 

[princeofmediocrity]

I cannot assess a case in point. Perhaps you did not fully explain why you were a good fit for those schools.

Yeah, I really don't think so. I definitely made strong cases for every school I applied to with my secondaries, lest I light application money on fire. Even more so for these places where I was (evidently) worried they might not take my app seriously. I made my writing good.

I'm not on their adcoms obviously, but it seems like a very unlikely coincidence.

 

[LizzyM]

Do you have any offers from schools you'd rather attend than Hofstra or Iowa? If so, they guessed right in deciding not to interview you because you'd end up going elsewhere.

 

[princeofmediocrity]

Do you have any offers from schools you'd rather attend than Hofstra or Iowa? If so, they guessed right in deciding not to interview you because you'd end up going elsewhere.

Yes, I do, which I'm for one thing very happy about and is also what I was sort of alluding to here:

"To be fair, their resource protection (which I absolutely believe is in play here) does seem to be logical considering how things have shaken out"

They did guess right, and so I'm not upset about it.

My point was that even schools with high average stats might do this sort of "yield protect" thing and do I think it happened in my case, which I thought was worth mentioning to Goro in case this data point may affect future judgements or advice to other students who come after me.

 

[PickaGodnPray]

I think you were wrong about this. I've received several T20 interviews yet have been rejected from Hofstra and Iowa.

Iowa literally just passed a law to increase the amount of applicants with in state roots they accept to be at least 80%. There’s a lot more to research before claiming “yield protection”. Did you address how you would help to address healthcare needs in Iowa and stay to practice? Because that’s where those other 20% of students get in from.

You also mentioned previously you had “some mission fit” with Einstein, but some doesn’t get you an interview everywhere even with your incredible stats. If you don’t fit their mission, that also plays into their “yield protection”. For example, say you stress research in your application but apply to a low tier service school. You wouldn’t be happy at their program, so why should they offer you a spot when they know that?

 

[moltmannfanboi]

Yeah, I really don't think so. I definitely made strong cases for every school I applied to with my secondaries, lest I light application money on fire. Even more so for these places where I was (evidently) worried they might not take my app seriously. I made my writing good.

I'm not on their adcoms obviously, but it seems like a very unlikely coincidence.

I might be reading too much into this, but I'm generally getting a weird attitude vibe. You came to ask for help and are arguing with people who have years of experience on adcoms.

Perhaps that is coming across in your application in ways you don't realize.

 

[LelouchLamperouge]

I think you were wrong about this. I've received several T20 interviews yet have been rejected from Hofstra and Iowa. At this point, none of those other schools I mentioned being worried about have interviewed me except VCU, where I was accepted (in state so makes sense).

There may be some aspect of mission fit in play (especially for Einstein), but do you really believe there was NO aspect of "resource protection" at some of these more upper-mid tier MD schools explaining why none of them offered me an interview?

How am to believe that I am not only qualified for, but "good enough" to be interviewed at e.g. T5 ivies yet Hofstra doesn't think I'm worth the time to interview for reasons totally separate from yield protection?

To be fair, their resource protection (which I absolutely believe is in play here) does seem to be logical considering how things have shaken out, but I don't think your analysis was correct overall.

At this point, does it even really matter? You got into VCU, which you have in-state tuition. If you get into WashU, you have very good odds at getting a full ride. I do agree with your desire to interview with Einstein because of cost. However, there are a lot of people in your stat range that want too as well. Fit will matter more than anything else. You have to get in line with all the other 4.0/52X applicants.

Tuition will be high for nearly all programs, but it's the cost that our generation must bear for this journey. BUT, it will all pay itself off in the end. Don't fret over things like this and enjoy your acceptance future doctor.