Rona Aydin is the founder of Oriel Admissions, a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy. An Oxford University graduate, Rona leads a deeply experienced team whose distinctive 360 approach treats every part of the application - academics, testing, activities, essays, and interviews - as one connected strategy.
The University of Miami acceptance rate was 18.9% for the Class of 2029 on a record 53,954 applications, flat for several cycles by design. ED admitted 44%, and the waitlist admitted 681, becoming a genuine second round.
The UIUC acceptance rate fell to 36.6% for the Class of 2029 on a record 83,045 applications, but Illinois admits by first choice major: computer science runs near 7.2% while other colleges admit above half. The doors, mapped.
How to get into Yale Law School: what faculty readers select for beyond the medians, why the 250 word essay decides close calls, and how to build a file that proves you can run free in the least structured J.D. in the T14.
How to get into Columbia Law School: when the binding early decision option is worth playing, what the BigLaw pipeline means for your file, and how to make the New York argument specifically enough to matter.
How to get into Stanford Law School: what a 180 person class selects for, why interdisciplinary evidence beats prestige polish, and how to write the plan with a track record that Stanford rewards.
T14 law school medians from the fall 2025 ABA 509 cycle: LSAT medians from 168 to 174, GPAs clustering 3.86 to 3.94, verified acceptance rates school by school, and how to read a 509 report like an admissions officer.
Harvard defers roughly three quarters of early applicants by reported estimates, and about 5 to 8 percent of them are later admitted. Here is what a Harvard deferral means, your real chances, and the 30 day plan that converts.
Most elite universities publish no deferral acceptance rates. Reported estimates: 5 to 8 percent at Harvard, 5 to 7 percent at Yale, 3 to 5 percent at MIT, 5 to 10 percent at Duke and Georgetown. The full sourced table, school by school.
A deferral letter of continued interest is one concise update: first choice confirmation, concrete new achievements, and a specific connection to the school. Here is the three paragraph structure, the timing, and the channel rules.
Dartmouth resolves most ED files with final answers and asks deferred applicants for exactly one thoughtful update. Here is what a Dartmouth deferral means and the three paragraph update that meets the standard.
A Cornell deferral sends your file back to the specific college you chose for a fresh regular round read. Here is what it means across the eight colleges and how to write an update for the right reading room.
Columbia publishes no deferral data, and a deferral releases you from the binding ED agreement. Here is what a Columbia deferral means, how the fresh regular round read works, and the update that extends your specificity.
Penn keeps its deferred pool small, denying most unsuccessful ED applicants outright, so a Penn deferral means the committee kept your file alive. Here is what it means, your options after the binding agreement dissolves, and the plan.
Georgetown never denies Early Action applicants: every non admit is deferred to Regular Decision by policy. Here is what that unique system means for your chances and the update plan that wins the second review.
MIT defers roughly 60 percent of early applicants by reported estimates, and about 3 to 5 percent of them are later admitted. Here is what an MIT deferral means and how to use the February Updates and Notes form properly.
Duke defers roughly a fifth of ED applicants by reported estimates and admits 5 to 10 percent of them, healthier odds than most elite deferrals. Here is what a Duke deferral means and the full update playbook.