"Academically so strong that their admission is without doubt"

Applying to College
177

<p>going back a few pages, I wrote that a person with 2400 SAT and a perfect academic record is a sure admit as long as something objectionable does not emerge from the letters of rec.</p>

<p>Inasmuch as the group I reference is probably under 250 people throughout the country, it is not a relevant comment. So let me revise –</p>

<p>“A person with 2350+ SAT and near perfect academic record (let’s say almost the most demanding curriculum with all As, or the most demaning with 1 or 2 Bs), is about as likely to be wait listed/denied by Harvard as accepted.” </p>

<p>I write this after reviewing the H applicants with said stats from last year’s applicant pool to H from two Palos Verdes, CA highly ranked public schools <a href=“http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/penhi/collegeacceptance/collegeacceptance2010.pdf[/url]”>http://www.pvpusd.k12.ca.us/penhi/collegeacceptance/collegeacceptance2010.pdf&lt;/a&gt; , and after reviewing the 2014 class admissions data from [Harvard</a> College Admissions Results for Class of 2014](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/admissions/admissions_tracker_result.jhtml?schoolId=444&classYear=2014]Harvard”>College Admissions Tracker - See Who Got In Where and How You Compare | CollegeData) wherein 2 of 3 2400 applicants with high grades were wait listed, wherein 1 of 2 2390 applicants with high grades was wait listed, and wherein 1 of 2 2350 applicants with high grades was wait listed. </p>

<p>Harvard (RD accepted):

  • 2400: 1/3
  • 2390: 1/2
  • 2350: 1/2</p>

<p>At the same collegedata.com website, searching on the same 2014 class for Princeton, Yale, and Stanford REGULAR DECISION reveals this for high SAT, 3.84 or above unweighted GPA:</p>

<p>Princeton (RD accepted):

  • 2400: 0/2
  • 2390: 0/1
  • 2380: 1/2</p>

<p>Yale (RD accepted):

  • 2200: 1/1
  • 2390: 2/2</p>

<p>Stanford (RD accepted):

  • 2400: 0/1
  • 2390: 0/1
  • 2380: 0/1
  • 2370: 0/1
  • 2350: 0/2</p>

<p>I had never looked at those data before, and I must admit, it puzzles me just a little that none of this sampling of 2350+ SAT scorers with high grades got into Stanford, and most do not get into any individual HYPS except Yale, which I am sure a higher sample size would drag back to the mean.</p>