<p>Elikresses, I could be wrong, but it seems like admissions is trying to look past the labels. It sounds like, even Hispanics who attend wealthy, suburban schools with all the opportunties of a regular American education, may not be seen as maximizing their opportunties, but poor white kids, from a low income/ undereducated/ single parent homes etc, attending schools in poor (usually hispanic/ AA neighborhood in the USA), with similar records, could be seen as maximizing their opportunites. As such, it seems to me like there really is no way of gaming the system, unless one thinks of sending a child to dangerous schools in low income, minority neighborhoods, where nobody in classes of say 700 + students, year after year, ever graduates to become a National Merit scholar etc, as “gaming the system”. Personally, I do not think any sane person would deliberately choose to put one’s child into such schools, with the hope that their child will be the first National Merit Finalist from such a school and wow Admissions. </p>
<p>It seems to me, Admissions is asking itself, where would this kid be if he/ she had similar opportunties as more fortunate kids? In the case of my S, I have seen the changes that better academic opportunities can bring to the life of a child. So, I think I understand what Admissions is trying to do.</p>