<p>I think you also can’t disregard the cost of the application… Many schools charge a lot just to apply, which limits the number of students who can even afford to apply to more than a couple schools. I know this is going to be an issue for me - why apply to 4-5 schools when sending SAT, ACT, and the application fee itself is so expensive? This is even more relevant when considering Harvard, because since the chances of actually getting in are so low, you have to weigh if it’s worth the money.</p>
<p>Even if you apply to one (Harvard), there’s no reason to apply to all of the Ivys/top schools. I bet a lot of people don’t apply because of finances but could get in…</p>
<p>^Fee waivers exist due to that reason, but yeah, I agree.</p>
<p>There are plenty of very intelligent students who are not drawn to competitive environments: they only compete with themselves and being in an environment where people are scratching to the top (and I would not know whether Harvard fits this or not) is not appealing. Certain people are not smitten with name brands and don’t want to be around people who are. And more than a few don’t see the point of spending all that money–though Harvard now has great aid for those who make less than $180K.</p>
<p>I’ve recently heard of some more local cases of young people who definitely had a shot at getting in who didn’t apply, in most cases because some other college suited their preferences just fine.</p>