Reply to Why even waste the effort to apply to the top colleges at this point?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]What's the point in wasting $60-$80 in applying to colleges like Stanford, Ivies, U'Chicago, Amherst, Pomona, etc. when doing the absolute best you can isn't enough to get in? When so many of the slots are taken by athletes, legacies, students of color, or low-income students? I just find this appalling, honestly. I know test scores aren't the best predictors, but most of these kids rank in the top of their class and have great extracurricular involvements to boot. Is the average valedictorian just not good enough for the top schools at this day and time?  [/quote]

No, the average valedictorian is not good enough. They never were. Admission to elite colleges is not that different than it was 30 years ago.  Yes, the test scores are higher, but the SAT was recentered. Yes, GPA are higher, but that's because many high schools converted their college prep track into AP classes.  Yes, low-income students are judged by how they take advantage of the opportunities they have, but they constitute a tiny fraction of the elite school populations. Yes, students of color have lower test scores, but they are also still grossly underrepresented. But, legacies at the elite schools have higher scores than non-legacy and the average Ivy recruited athlete would be in the top 25% at D1 land grant college.

The common app means a lot more applications and lower admit rates, but a lot of the applications are from students who approach it as if it were a lottery and submit 10+ applications. No one waltzed into the elite schools 30 years ago. We all know students with a wow factor - they're natural leaders, really intellectual, and have presence. These students are still getting in relatively easily to the elite schools. I interview 25+ students every year for my Ivy alma mater. Most of the standout applicants get in, despite the single digit admit rates, and those that don't get into my college go to another elite school. [/quote]

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