<p>I think people sometimes confuse the two following propositions:
- People with very high SAT scores still get rejected from top schools.
- Some people with lower SAT stores nevertheless get accepted to to top schools.
But even taken together, these don’t mean that SAT scores don’t matter much. In fact, for the vast majority of applicants, they matter a lot. They may not matter as much to somebody who is a recruited athlete, or a legacy, or something of that sort. Also, in some programs–such as a music conservatory, for example–other talents may matter much more. But that is really the exception to the rule.</p>