<p>D's target school and runaway favorite is St. Olaf, but without merit aid the cost would be impossible. Based on grades, strength of curriculum and test scores alone, she is right in the mix for either of the top 2 awards. However, having been somewhat blindsided by the amazing accomplishments of admits and rejects in REA Stanford pool (we though hers were great, but there's a lot we didn't know that HS kids even did!) now I'm wondering if the Buntrock winners have also worked 3 years on nanotechnology research, at Lawrence Livermore labs, started 3 companies, etc. Are there any Buntrock or Presidential winners out there or kids who didn't get them who could share?</p>
<p>DD2012 and I toured St Olaf last May and our guide was a Buntrock scholar. Our opinion of her was a true scholar with a great personality. Her HS background was musical theater (I think only HS), but she had already decided to do that as EC and was now interested in education and religious studies. She had great grades, scores, and I would bet the ability to write well; I don’t think she had anything nationally spectacular. I think they award maybe 40 of these per year. (seen too many schools, can you tell?)</p>