<p>could somebody please explain this?</p>
<p>how do people know that they are a 1 2, or 3, etc.?</p>
<p>but you'll find it vague</p>
<p>and, if your school doesn't rank, it will be nearly meaningless</p>
<p>besides, there are service and sports and talents ....</p>
<p>...and essays.</p>
<p>yes it's vague and there are essays and EC's and others, but that is how Amherst categorizes the students. Once Amherst puts them into categories based solely on their statistics, admission officers look closely at their ECs, essays, legacies, etc. What is not explained in the article (my father and I went to a lecture at Amherst about its admission process), is that what category you are placed in is also dependent on the type of school you are coming from. If your school is extremely competitive and one of the best in your region (the admissions is also region-based) your B+ will place you in a better category than some one who managed an A- at some academically unchallenging highschool. Amherst takes your GPA and multiplies it by a specified difficulty factor of your school. Also, if you are placed into category 2 or 3 it does not mean rejection - although less applicants are accepted from these piles, if your application is very strong in ECs you have a good shot.</p>