<p>Quantmech, those “bottom quarter” & “bridge” ideas are based on very outmoded and long-since repudiated ideas about brain development, IQ, “potential”, the validity of the SAT in measuring “g” – etc. I’m sure that Harvard wants student who will be happy and adjust well, but I also think they are well aware by now – especially with much greater diversity over the years – that many of the “bottom quarter” students they admit end up graduating at the top of the class.</p>
<p>My daughter was admitted to her college with SAT scores in the bottom quarter, as well as to several other colleges that seemed like reaches at the time. She graduated summa cum laude – I don’t think that was some sort of mistake on the part of the ad com – I think that the essays & LOR’s reflected that my d. had a high level of drive & ambition and a tendency to stand out – and the ad coms at the respective colleges now know that EQ is as important a factor to success as IQ. (Not that my d. lacks in the latter – but the point is that all of those <em>soft</em> factors are also highly predictive of success - if my d. had +200 points on the SAT but an equivalent reduction in oomph factor, she would have been a different applicant and very likely would not have had much success in college apps. ).</p>