This isn’t an either or proposition. Most schools recruit differently for different types of students and admit a good representation of all of them. Emory, UC Berkeley, UVA, and JHU did consortium events together in some cities last year. At the same time, each would visit separately private schools and top public schools. It’s silly to believe these schools aren’t after the top students, no matter where they go to school. In many ways, it’s tougher for kids in private schools because they are competing against each other.