<p>Fair point, hmom5. I just happen to disagree with you. If you consult folks like Elizabeth Wissner-Gross, Michelle Hernandez and Rachel Toor (authors and/or college consultants) they can bring some clarity that you might not find on the college board site. I have talked with two of these ladies and they are amazing and prescient!</p>
<p>More particularly, our public school’s valedictorian last year had supreme credentials
(2370 SAT, 2370 SAT IIs, most rigorous curriculum, top notch ECs, etc.) and was denied at both Harvard and Yale after a long wait list. It is difficult to know why. The reasons are always complex. However, there are a few admittees, I suspect, with 700 SAT subscores, that stood out otherwise in their applications.</p>
<p>The kids that don’t have special hooks must stand out. While I would concede that it is better to have a 2390 than a 2290, what do you do with the kid that has a combined 2290 with a 4.00 UW, and the 2390 is combined with a 3.85 UW?</p>
<p>When we parents are finished with getting our kids safely into college, maybe we should collaborate on a book venture ourselves!</p>