<p>Went to college in the EARLY 70’s and it was basically if you were super bright, and had the $ or found a ton of scholarships (not so easy back then) you went to an elite school. If you didn’t have the money, you went to a state U and lived at home and if you could get some scholarship money, and were fairly bright, you went to a private somewhere in state. We only had one AP class offered in HS. I took ACT and SAT, but no other tests. D just graduated from college a couple years ago, and wish I had found this site as early as you have. College admission has changed dramatically. Suffice it to say that most of the kids rejected from elite schools could actually have done very well there, and were qualified. There is so much more involved in a school creating a class - assuming all things are equal (and thousands who apply to elites schools are fairly much that) and everyone has high SAT’s and high grades, then are you the trombone player they need? Are you the kid they need on the Quiz Bowl Team because all the seniors graduated? So your extracurriculars can certainly make you stand out. Or they can be your downfall - you are a cellist and they have 6 in three levels, so they don’t need another. And you won’t know if what your child specializes in is what is needed. Diversity also comes into play - and that can be racial, geogrophic or socio economic. Anyway, it is much more complicated than that, but this is it in a bare bones nutshell. It’s a crapshoot, and that is why other posters have said your D needs to find schools that are safeties, matches and reaches. Good luck! I am SO happy we arent’ starting now.</p>