<p>Why? Because so many people with similar stats get rejected from top colleges all the time.</p>
<p>Swat and Amherst are different from the Ivies - it's generally acknowledged that the education you would get there is Ivy-caliber, but delivered in a smaller LAC setting, which is definitely not for everyone.</p>
<p>And college admissions can be random in that you can be rejected for a reason that you can't control. For example, if you're a nationally recognized piano player, but the incoming class already has 10 piano players, you may be out of luck. But if you were a trumpet player in a class lacking such a person, you may be admitted. </p>
<p>To say the process is random is an exaggeration, but there is definitely an unpredictable element to college admissions.</p>