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Once a bar of qualifications has been set, then the argument of who is "more qualified" is completely relative. First of all, most kids with proper time to study, a good high school, computer at home, supportive parents and an SAT prep course can achieve good numbers. That's wonderful but not everyone has such privileges and a kid should not be judged solely on his/her test scores when they do not tell the ENTIRE story about a person. Socio-Economic Status plays a huge role in academic success as does having parents with a college education. Some kids have to work 30-40 hours a week to help out their families, while others get to be in clubs, join sports teams, be involved in band, student gov't and focus solely on getting good grades.
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<p>I truly agree, but here's the rub ... how do you successfully take that into account? </p>
<p>Applicant A's profile is terrific. By profile I mean grades, scores, ECs etc. He uses his essay to talk about issues he personally finds interesting. </p>
<p>Applicant B's profile is terrific. He uses his essay to talk about how he overcame living in a zero parent home to achieve terrific things. </p>
<p>Applicant C profile is very good but doesn't match up to the others. He uses his essay to discuss how coming from a zero parent home and having two worked multiple jobs hurt his grades. </p>
<p>You have one spot, who do you admit?</p>
<p>If it is applicant B or C guess what? Be prepared for every essay to be about adversity or rising above adversity. As the game changes, so will the gaming. Applicant A will just like Applicant B as he will tell you what you want to hear, even if he has to make things up. </p>
<p>If California taxpayers really want a truly diverse student body in their top schools, they simply need to admit students in a lottery system where a truly marginal student has the same odds as a star student. Of course, that will never happen.</p>
<p>As far as a student being able to think on their own, I agree with your point to a degree. Interviews can be quite helpful, but given the 20,000+ applications these school receive and the state of state budgets, I don't think that is too feasible. </p>
<p>Nothing is perfect and I agree with the point that all you truly know about a student that got good grades in school is that they got good grades in school, but short of another suggested objective measure, it is (at least) an indication of some degree of success.</p>