I can echo what am9799 posted above. From what I’ve seen, the kids who get into HYPCS not only have 2300+ SATs and 97+ GPAs, but something else that is not common. For example, they are All-state musicians, playing at a level that would get them into top conservatories, or they’ve won national recognition in science, or they’re recruited athletes, or they’re operating at an adult level in some area. They are different. This is not necessarily true of kids admitted to Cornell, Penn, or Brown.