Anonymous wrote:I think A will do better. At least they would at our school. B would need to have a National level talent.

Assuming equal rigor, both in top 10-20%, and equal test scores for a T15 or top SLAC probably the second kid but hard to tell. Both are in a tough bracket. High academics with typical ECs are pretty common so nothing stands out. 3.8 might be a bit low assuming typical grading but somewhat offset by ECs. Both of these profiles could have good success or no success which is why people get frustrated.

I think A will do better. At least they would at our school. B would need to have a National level talent.

Anonymous wrote:Is second kid in top 20 percent of class with high SATs? If not, no way they are getting a top tier Ivy.

Both kids scoring 1550 to 1600 on SAT's.

Anonymous wrote:At elite private high schools, does a strong student with 3.95+ unweighted GPA cum laude top of the class with some extracurricular school impact or a student with 3.8 with deep experience in a subject and has impact both inside and outside of school (awards) do better in college admissions?

It doesn't matter. I mean it's not meaningful to make this kind of comparison. Focus on what you can do to make a good application, consult with your school counselor. They will properly steer the kids to excellent colleges for both.

Is second kid in top 20 percent of class with high SATs? If not, no way they are getting a top tier Ivy.

Anonymous wrote:The data I’ve seen show that GPA matters a lot - more than I would have thought. So A in your scenario.

Is that for HYPSM?

Depends on your strategy. Where your DC ED. I have seen both rejected from highly selective schools. Also seen both accepted by schools that are the best fit. Talk to your counselor, they will figure out a lane for your DC.

six of one . . .

Anonymous wrote:SAT matters. But the private school kid, assuming they can spin their essays.

They're both private school kids.

The data I’ve seen show that GPA matters a lot - more than I would have thought. So A in your scenario.

They both do well. What's "better" is subjective to the kid.

SAT matters. But the private school kid, assuming they can spin their essays.

Impossible to answer because there are so many definitions of “does better.”

Anonymous wrote:At elite private high schools, does a strong student with 3.95+ unweighted GPA cum laude top of the class with some extracurricular school impact or a student with 3.8 with deep experience in a subject and has impact both inside and outside of school (awards) do better in college admissions?

Depends on which schools you are talking about?

From our non-DMV private HS, student 1 is a STEM kid and might do well at Michigan or UVA or even Cornell.
But not as well as student 2 at Yale, Brown and Northwestern.

At elite private high schools, does a strong student with 3.95+ unweighted GPA cum laude top of the class with some extracurricular school impact or a student with 3.8 with deep experience in a subject and has impact both inside and outside of school (awards) do better in college admissions?