Cornell... Are decision always delievered on fixed dates?

Honestly - I am not surprised. Nothing against you Rhyme - but you are shooting for the top schools and do you think its possible Cornell might know that?

Your profile is very impressive, you are a smart and talented guy, and I am sure you are going to get in to one of your top choices.

At the same time its very possible that they just havent gotten to your application yet so I wouldn't be overly worried. When is the final notification deadline? If you were a week or two away from that then I would be concerned.

I was wondering about how a school's yield plays into their admissions decisions. If they have an applicant that is clearly above their average stats, and shooting for higher schools, will they not extend an offer?

Hey Rhyme.......

Cornell knows.... you are too good for them......Dude whatever you say..
or whatever you might have done.....

The way you write is your biggest advantage... once they read it .... they know you are for top schools.....

Now I think .... my line is clear to apply

All top schools are very concerned about their yields, and it is rumored that many schools reject qualified applicants that use them as back-ups. Kellogg is the best example of this. Of course, Kellogg is the #1 choice for many applicants, but they have developed a reputation as a back-up to Harvard/Wharton/Stanford, and their yield numbers bear this out. Under 60% at Kellogg compared with 75-90% at the others. I have read in a number of places that it is imperative to convince them that they are your #1 choice.

This can probably be said of every school other than Harvard. As I understand it, Harvard does not ask the "why Harvard" question in their interviews. I guess it's just a given that if you want an MBA, you'd be happy to get it from Harvard - and of course they have little concern about their yield year-in and year-out. For other schools, if your qualifications put you in line for schools that they regularly lose applicants to, then it is extra-important to convince them that you will go if accepted.

So what about there reaction that I was basically mad for not applying anywhere else?

The premise that I'm (probably) rejected because I'm too good, while flattering, doesn't hold much water. If a school operated this way, they'd never improve their stats, rankings, etc - in fact, if anything, they'd go downhill. The reality of it is, for some reason, they probably didn't like my profile. There are a couple of possibilities - my why Cornell was a bit weak, I never did a campus visit, I did the essays in a day (so they were OK but not great) or maybe I didn't play up a certain aspect enough. There's also the simple reality that applications are a crapshoot - it's so subjective, who knows why they might pick one over another.

I suppose, looking at a calendar, its possible for me to still get an interview (the decision date is Nov 17), so I imagine the true drop dead date is something like Nov 8. However, given the timelines other people posted, I don't feel hopeful.

When I scheduled my interview originally they were booked on Mondays/Fridays til Nov 3rd and that was quite some time ago. I wouldn't think they would have many slots left. They'd have to call you at this point and say "come on x Tuesday its the only one left." That seems rather far fetched. They say no admits without interviews. Odd.

Precisely why its clear I've been denied.

Well... wasn't where you wanted to go anyway, isn't that right? Could that have been seen in your materials??

If you didn't get in do you care? Or is it just about validation?

I was interested. It wasn't my first choice, but I was interested.

If last year's trend is any indication, Cornell does not release its acceptance letters incrementally. This means everyone will get their decision on the 17th. Again, Cornell processes their applications in order received. If you submitted your application on the last day, you shouldn't start to panick until early November. I believe the last day to interview is Nov. 10, so if you don't have an invite by then, your chances are slim.

I just found this from last year - a conversation with Ann Richards, Director of admissions.

AnnRichardsCornell (Oct 11, 2005 10:59:28 AM)
johnson7 - we interview by invitation, after we've reviewed your application. If you are contacted for an interview, it's a good sign. We love to see candidates come to campus to interview, but we also conduct interviews by phone and with alumni.

Granted this is last year, but if it still holds true, there's decidely hope.

Any stats out there on percent interviewed and percent of accepted from interviewed pool?

Dream on.

Yale said at their alumni thing in Boston that they accept 50% ish of the interview pool.

A little off topic - I just heard from Darden that applications for the first round are up over 80% from last year. They believe it is due to their Dean spending considerable time in Asia recruiting foreign students. However, they are waiting to see if the trend continues into the next few rounds.

Wow - I knew there would be more applicants this year but thats crazy. I am a little worried about my chances of getting into any school right now - I know everyone here is stressed at the moment - but I am definitely concerned.

I'll be interested to see how it all plays out. I am really curious to see how my "atypical profile" plays.