<p>My point is that the Stanford app numbers and yield rate are both somewhat distorted in that they reflect a strong regional appeal in California, Washington, etc., and a distinctly “average” appeal in the rest of the country.</p>
<p>Increasing recruiting efforts outside the backyard can backfire - statistically at least - since if the admits are balanced to a greater extent, the yield rate may decline.</p>
<p>Princeton has had a similar experience in the last two years when it has abandoned, to some degree, its reliance on the “Princeton type”, and has gone head to head with Harvard, Yale (and Stanford) for the top academic candidates. As a result, the Princeton SAT median may rise, but its yield rate has plummeted.</p>