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<p>This would be somewhat comparable …IF one were comparing apples to apples. In other words, if the acceptance to Harvard included a guarantee of no tuition, room & board bill soon to follow. So the yield factors between civilian institutions and Service Academies are totally different beasts. There is no comparison at all, and most definitely does not measure selectivity …with one exception. </p>
<p>And that is “selectivity” of admitted students. And I’ve never seen that figure reported in any way as a measure of institutional “selectivity.” </p>
<p>Let’s not confuse anymore than is necessary.</p>
<p>btw, in noting …
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<p>I’m confident USNA officials rightly speculate their audience unable to grasp the statistical complexities and nuiances of the bell curve, standard deviations essential to projecting probabilities. So they don’t talk to their audience in such terms. It’s revealing stuff but not for the weak of heart or head. And I’m confident they’ve never, ever mentioned algorithms …</p>