http://www.businessinsider.com/students-accepted-to-all-8-ivy-league-schools-have-one-specific-thing-in-common-2015-4?utm_source=slate&utm_medium=referral&utm_term=partner
I don't think this pattern is an accident. First, these are incredibly talented young people whose parents were the best and brightest in their home countries and sacrificed a great deal to come to America. And, they have compelling stories to tell admissions officers. But, I think the other reason is that these are children and families who can't see beyond the top/best colleges lists because they are so new to America. Why else would anyone apply to every Ivy?
There is no chance that my DC will apply to every Ivy plus MIT, Stanford. We know the difference between the schools and the importance of fit and student culture. There is something wrong if a child doesn't get a different feel from CalTech than Brown or imagine themselves differently at Dartmouth than Columbia. In many countries, admission to higher education is strictly test based and hierarchically matched and applying to all the top schools seems like an attempt to replicate that format. They don't seem to fully understand the variation and diversity in colleges that we have in the US. And I wonder how much they realize that getting into college is only the beginning of adulthood, not a life outcome.
PS - Please, don't hate on these talented children. I'm just puzzling over an interesting dynamic.