S26 is in with substantial merit! This was a target for him (1570 SAT, 10 APs, 3.95 GPA at a highly selective HS). He visited one of their open houses in the spring and signed up for a couple of online sessions, which I guess was sufficient to demonstrate interest. He really likes Case more than many higher-ranked schools, so not very motivated now to work on his RD applications except for a couple of reaches.
9 Likes
Accepted with 48K merit per year. Intended major - Applied Math.
8 Likes
D26 was deferred. Yield protect but it makes sense. Cant blame them.
1 Like
My DD had the same - accepted to Spring, ED2, or wait until RD in March.
Applied for fall (vs spring 2027) 2026 as a high stats kid with a lot of rigor.
Like momto3+1 said it is quite off-putting and wouldâve preferred a deferral actually.
1 Like
I do get what people are saying, that it makes sense to protect their yield but thatâs a selfish approach and will just make the problem worse. Kids apply to way too many schools to protect themselves, schools take measures to protect themselves and problem continues to escalate. Why have EA at all then. Maybe a better answer is to make the EA deposit date before RD releases. This way the kids that are serious but canât âaffordâ ED know where they stand financially and can decide. And the colleges know their enrollment numbers so they know how many to offer RD?! This âgameâ makes you feel like they donât really want you as a student.
1 Like
D26 accepted with scholarship for Cognitive Science
5 Likes
Weâre in the same boat - deferred asking to decide ED2 or RD. Kid was pretty disappointed. (Stats: Engâg major; 4.26/4.33 unweighted GPA; 12 APs [All 5s, except one 4] + honors; 1600 SAT; very solid STEM ECs/highly competitive summer programs; published in scientific journal; significant Humanities awards at state/natl/intl levels). We drove 500+ miles last year to visit as it was pretty high on the list. I get yield protection, but this deferral caught us off guard and def put a damper on the holidays. 
5 Likes
I can feel the pain coz I see it in my daughter(15APâs, 35ACT, top5% in a large public school). Case should remove EA and may be do REA if they are so much into protecting their yield.
5 Likes
I donât think CWRU yield protects.
Their yield is 11.5% - less than 10% sans ED. Not sure why itâs so low but.
They need to admit a ton just to get enough to assemble a class.
Their low yield is likely why historically, they WL 30% if apps.
I think with the same statistics noted, I come to the opposite conclusion. They yield protect because their yield is already low.
Also, any school that tracks demonstrated interest is, in my view, doing so in order to protect their yield. Itâs the primary reason for tracking demonstrated interest - to keep acceptance rates low and yield rates as high as possible.
2 Likes
Of course they are.
You think they are deferring Valdecitorians with a 1580 SAT because theyâre not sure they want these kids?
2 Likes
The #s show they get few to attend that get in (non ED). I think they take a lot of swings, and then the load up the WL bcuz they strike out.
I donât understand their low yield. You only read great things about them. And at least in the last few years, theyâve discounted heavily ( ie all the $40k plus merits). Perhaps they are declining heavy need kids given they are need aware?
You would yield protect to save face in the #s and I donât know why, but their #s from a yield perspective have always been amongst the weakest.
Anyway, you only read great things about the school so I hope anyone who wants to go can - but it seems like 90% of those who want to go who do get in, including no doubt many on this website, choose another.
None of it matters. Kids like you are discussing will find great homes regardless.
If you accept a bunch of top kids and they say no, their yield will be even worse.
Itâs obvious why their yield is low. Itâs a really good school but not at the same tier as others. So they attract really good kids but the majority of them will go somewhere else.
1 Like
But often money is the great equalizer. A kid getting $45k will often choose them over a school double the price.
They have a strong bond rating so unlike others, Iâm assuming they can afford the discount. Many others are over discounting and that will eventually catch up to them, as we see many strained and struggling - including Brandeis, Clark, American and more.
I just donât get it but I think the yield protection arguments make people feel good. Iâm not saying the kids you note arenât quality galore because stat wise they are but I donât think they are turning them down for yield protection. In the end, it doesnât matter - kids get in or donât. The why is irrelevant as weâll never know the why.
If itâs not yield protection , why are these kids getting deferred? Thereâs literally no other answer. Theyâre deferring kids who would get accepted at Ivy league schools.
They know this so of course theyâd accept them if they changed it to ED which many of the top kids wont do.
In the deferral letter, they are literally suggesting these kids ED. If they didnt want these kids, they wouldnt say that.
2 Likes
Yes colleges do say that and in theory it makes sense but theyâd have a better chance at them accepting up front. Kids that get deferred tend to move on to those who accept.
Anyway, none of us are CWRU. Itâs always fun to speculate though.
Theyâd never provide the data and itâs Chicago and others too, but I wonder their success at arm twisting into ED. When my son was applying, the pressure WUSTL put on to ED was immense.
I think there is another reason schools like CWRU (which are academically excellent but not located in a city/area that attracts a lot of applicants) are doing this deferral/ED2 thing.
My guess is that the admissions people understandably want to create a student body that is excited to come to CWRU. Can you imagine a large group of high-achieving students coming to campus feeling like â âI wish I was going to [insert Ivy-plus school], but I had to go hereâŠâ That would be a nightmare for everyone. While it is frustrating for our students (and speaking for myself, me as a parent) to get deferred, I get why they want to create a community that is excited about CRWU. All the signs point to this to me â except one ⊠it is very odd that they donât have a âwhy CWRUâ supplemental essay - or any supplemental. You can just check the box. 
2 Likes
They have supplementals on the deferral form. 
My D26 was deferred as well; my guess is that she wasnât able to show enough interest. We live in CA and itâs too far for us to make a special trip to visit Cleveland before an acceptance. However, she was one of only two students who attended the admissions repâs info session at our HS; we hoped that would count for something!
My S23 had a weaker application than D26 in many ways (lower stats and weaker ECs)⊠he was straight up accepted to Case in the EA round.
1 Like
Because certain schools - Northeastern included, Chicago, and WUSTL included, just want apps for count and selectivity (lower acceptance rate).
They admit 38% and WL (from past years) 30% of admits - they left that blank this year. So must donât get fully rejected up front.
30% of their enrolled are a 3.74 or under with a third of them under 3.5. 75% are in the top 10% and the 25th percentile SAT is 1450 and ACT is 32 but their % submitted is a bit lower than top schools.
Yes, kids likely fall back from top schools there, like happens at many schools. Thatâs the power of $40k plus in merit.
Itâs not a top level school, certainly in terms of selectivity where their stats are lower and acceptance rate is 4-6 times higher.
So they have to work hard to fill a class, especially at their cost.
Obviously their admission strategy works for them but I find it hard to believe they purposely deny. Theyâd be smarter to admit and offer big money on day one - a strategy other schools have moved to.
Perhaps demonstrated interest is involved though. If you are a stud but didnât visit or sit in on sessions, they figure youâre not coming so defer in hopes of an ED app.
Weâll never know but if they are yielding protecting, theyâre doing a pretty crappy job of it. That was my only point. Sometimes kids just get turned down for - not being what a school is looking for and itâs as simple as that - but everyone wants to find a scapegoat.
But anyhoo - it seems a wonderful school ( my son made us leave - didnât like the aesthetics) but you only read and hear great things. And I got a great jar of tomato sauce at the Italian market in Little Italy.
I wish all applicants luck. But I am curious to see later all those excited today, if they choose the school because numerically, for whatever reason, itâs not happening.
And Iâm sure those not invited will land very well elsewhere.
Theyâre not denying, theyâre deferring in hopes these kids will elect ED2.
And itâs not demonstrated interest in the traditional sense. We flew to Cleveland and visited their âopen house dayâ which coincided with their admitted students day. So we spent the entire day there.
Their version of âdemonstrated interestâ for really high stat kids is ED2, not visiting the school etc.
2 Likes