<p>I just do not buy the idea that colleges rather judge you relative to what your school offered. I feel that if your school didn’t provide demanding academics or APs/IB it is indeed going to be a drawback. Colleges consider heavily the preparation of an applicant. They do not want to admit students who will flunk within the first semester. Especially the colleges with the hands-off ‘sink-or-swim’ reputation. Yes SAT scores may paint a better picture but that shows more of natural smarts than hard work and top schools generally look for students with the combination of natural smarts and hard work.</p>