<ol>
<li>You're assuming everyone is telling the truth.</li>
<li>You are acting like being a minority doesn't help your chances of admission.</li>
</ol>
<p>There has to be some score padding. Dartmouth seems to reflect that, although I do think the Columbia people were pretty honest. So don't believe all that you see.</p>
<p>And the SAT's do count for a lot. They just don't count for what you think they count for. Verbal, Writing, Math, etc... They show little about what you know in those areas. What they do show is that you have the ability to think logically, and that is what colleges need, otherwise students wouldn't survive, even if they did repress a minor revolution in Bolivia. </p>
<p>The essay can sometimes make up for these things, though. Despite what you think, you do not need a 2400 to survive at a top university. Once you're into the sevens, you can pretty much handle it. However, many many people get into the sevens, so colleges keep having to raise the bar, which is why Yale's SAT middle 50 goes up to 1590. So colleges aren't taking people because they have what they have; they just need to know you can handle the workload and still bring something valuable to the community.</p>
<p>I think we should try to agree that, regardless of what happens come decision day, we all remain respectful and congratulatory to those who got in, hopeful for those who got deferred, and conciliatory and understanding to those who got rejected.</p>
<p>Anyone who gets in does not get in simply because he's black/Mexican/Native American/whatever. He gets in because the Yale admissions committee (who, mind you, are paid professionals with far more experience in these matters than any of us have) has decided that he will make Yale a better place by being there. There is no way that we can know the whole story by looking at a list of numbers and activities and a subjective assessment of a person's own writing. Yale got far more information than we do.</p>
<p>Let's keep this forum the amazing place it's been over the past few months that I've been here.</p>
<p>Just a random amazing fact that I remembered!</p>
<p>There was a guy who came out in sample essay books, and his essay came out. It was only seventy words long. It was very short and concise--barely a paragraph long!! The admission officer who read it called his counselor to praise him and told all the other admission officers about that guy's unique essay.</p>
<p><em>sigh</em> my dream = to be kind of like that guy and have an essay that will stun!! =D</p>
<p>Yeah... unfortunately some of the results threads have gotten insulting. BUT, for those who are familiar with the commenters on the Dartmouth (in particular) boards would know that there is a distinct lack of commenters actually associated with the school (students, alumni). </p>
<p>As for the stat padding at Dartmouth, that was my initial reaction too. (Among the first 5 or so people with 2350+, only one got in, two deferred, two rejected). But, I took the liberty of searching for their previous threads, and I found no inconsistencies. I seriously doubt that people would be padding their stats for 'chances' threads, or at least not consistently for the past 6+ months.</p>
<p>Btw, you guys do sound a little arrogant in your comments.</p>
<p>We are refined (prospective) Yalies! We do not stoop to such levels. How gauche.</p>
<p>Also, I had a family friend get one of those calls from Yale about an outstanding essay. He let me read it and it was actually really bad and cliche. But then again, who am I to judge?</p>