@sapmom Actually, most of the time when the “mid-tier” students are accepted its because they had something Tulane wanted for that year’s upcoming class. In addition to that, they also really do like to see the “Why Tulane” essay because it shows demonstrated interest. Many “top-tier” students apply to Tulane as a backup option, and the admissions office knows this. If a student is considered to be one of those students then they are often times waitlisted or even rejected. Tulane isn’t 100% focused JUST on stats. Thats what makes Tulane so great, they care about the well-roundedness of the student and also the commitment to and love of Tulane. Thats what makes Tulane so unique, you can just walk around campus and FEEL the love that all of the students have for their school. Personally, I can speak to that. Also, since there were around 44 thousand applicants, with most of them being HIGHLY qualified, there are bound to be rejections and waitlisted students who are very capable of succeeding at Tulane and in fact did fit Tulane’s student profile. It is just what has been happening, as Tulane is becoming more and more selective over the years and is starting to become very challenging to get into.