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</p>
<p>Aniger, it is precisely the anecdotal observations like this that allow all the admissions myths to be perpetuated. I’m not surprised that an admissions pro would toe the party line. After all, she is part of the insider team. Frighteningly, I suspect the adcom teams themselves may believe the hype.</p>
<p>Consider though, the following:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Many admissions heads said for years (heck, they may still) that applicants for early admissions had no advantage, that they were admitted more frequently because they were better prepared. Then go read “the Early Admissions Game” from a few years ago.</p></li>
<li><p>These same folks have repeatedly said that legacy status is, to use Harvard’s words “a thumb on the scale” for otherwise equivalent candidates. Then go read “the Chosen” or any one of several other academic studies. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>Now, if your friend was an staffer at a school out of the top 20 or so, perhaps your statement is true, because they do in fact work in a different world than the true elites.</p>