Do stats really matter as much as people say?

Applying to College
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<p>Just looking at Brown, an elite Ivy League school, I noticed some interesting things in their published 2012 admissions statistics. While they rejected over 1000 valedictorians, they also let in 70 people who weren't even in the top 20% of their class. Also, while they rejected over 1500 applicants with 800s on certain sections of the SAT, they also let in over 200 people who scored <650 on those same sections. They also let in a good number of applicants with ACT scores under, and in some cases well under 30. My point here is, while having stellar stats definitely helps a lot, is it really the deal breaker that so many on here say it is? (i.e. I see people all the time on here say that if you've struggled in one area, you're pretty much done for as far as top schools) </p>

<p>The reason I am posting this is because I feel that I have experienced something that a lot of my fellow high school seniors experience when they go on this site. That is that I feel like I need to be perfect in order to have a chance to make it in the world. At least the world of top-tier college admissions. I realize that everyone has a pretty slim chance, but as these statistics, and even the decision threads on this site show, not everyone who gets admitted to Ivies is a robot with perfect everything, and telling a 17 year old that they have no chance at their dream school because they got some bad grades at some point during their HS career, or are just not a stellar test taker, doesn't help anything. Being a teenager is hard, and sometimes things happen that are outside of our control that cause us to struggle in school or in other various aspects of our lives. It doesn't mean we aren't good enough. I think college admissions officers, if they don't already, should understand that being a successful college student and a successful person in life is about a lot more than getting a 4.0 in high school or a 36 on the ACT. I myself have pretty good test scores, but due to some things I couldn't control my Freshman and Sophomore years, and basically screwing up in one class my junior year, my cumulative GPA is "only" a 3.2 at the best school in my state. However, I know what I want to do with my life, and I have a very high motivation to get the things I want to do done.Hopefully this motivation will shine through in my essays. I have no idea whether I will be accepted to an Ivy League school this fall, and quite frankly, I know I will be happy at any of my safety schools as well, but I am proud to say I am an "average" student applying to the best universities in the world, and wish everyone else luck with their college admissions this fall as well.</p>

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<p>By the way, here are the admissions stats I was looking at:</p>

<p>[Admission</a> Facts | Undergraduate Admission](<a href=“Undergraduate Admission | Brown University”>Undergraduate Admission | Brown University)</p>

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<p>Usually, the lower stats admits are the ones with specially desired characteristics, like being a recruited athlete, relative of a big donor, relative of a national president, prime minister, or royalty, etc…</p>

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<p>In the grand scheme of things you can get into most colleges with high grades/scores and not much else, but it’s hard to get into selective schools without them unless there’s something else extraordinary about you.</p>

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<p>For unhooked applicants, yes the numbers are deal-breakers.</p>

<p>OTOH, can you break 30 minutes in men’s xc (10k)? If so, I’m sure the Coach would be willing to pull for you.</p>

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<p>Most of those are Athletes, Legacies, their parents work at the school, URMs, famous/children of the famous, people whose families made large donations, and people with really outstanding ECs.</p>