<p>jersey13,</p>
<p>your “observed correlation” is more commonly called anecdotal data, which is also one of the most common fallacious reasoning traps. </p>
<p>But I won’t bore you with the details. If someone is comfortable with extrapolating from PTA talk at the local HS (or whatever information source one relies upon) then go for it. I’ve always assumed that college admissions was a bit like job hunting, where the applicant exaggerates his/her qualifications and the employer exaggerates the good parts, if any even exist, of the job.</p>
<p>ST, maybe the CD is a rare example of truth from Harvard admissions? After all, if it were widely known what really does count, and why (Read “The Chosen” by Karabel…) I think most folks would not be too happy.</p>