<p>There are plenty of people who are well-off, go to fancy schools, have lots of exam prep, support for ECs, and still don’t get into highly selective schools. Kids who get into selective schools often have all that AND they’re intelligent and talented at what they do.</p>
<p>There’s no question that it’s tougher for kids who don’t have those advantages, which is why the top colleges make special efforts to identify kids like that. Check out the financial aid program at Harvard and Yale, for example.</p>