<p>Yes, they’re ignorant, intentionally, of which students want to be at their universities more (since Stanford says that applicant interest is “not considered”), but they do pay close attention to who has actually explored the college (as indicated by the “Why Stanford” essay). You’re right, the student probably did apply to Stanford through QB because Stanford didn’t bind her. That makes me think she ranked it largely because of its name, supported by the fact that her other two choices were Yale and Princeton. Not that a student can’t rank all three and be sincere, but in this case, with the other evidence, she just seems like another prestige-seeking student applying on a whim, and consequently being chosen over a student who ranked it regardless of its prestige.</p>
<p>The point is, students applying through QB need to be very thoughtful about their choices. After all, the program was created in response to the common ED program, which, as is the conventional wisdom, is not something to be taken lightly. Same in the case of QB, whether or not you rank a college that binds you, though most do.</p>
<p>Whether she thought it through or not, what’s done is done. And given her obvious (though quite unknown) stats, I’d say that she may have been at a disadvantage herself. Maybe she has her own excuses as to why she didn’t know specifics. She IS applying through QB afterall… What does that tell you? She may just not be as informed. It’s pointless to keep attacking her, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>“Keep attacking her”? I’m clarifying what my qualms were, because others objected. And what’s done is done–but this is a discussion board, after all.</p>
<p>Peculiar: when an extremely well-qualified student who had a 1700 on the SAT got in, people attacked him *viciously<a href=“search%20the%20Stanford%20board%20if%20you%20didn’t%20see%20it”>/I</a>. But here, everything is “okay”? I have a feeling so many people on CC are sympathetic with this mindset because they themselves have the same mindset.</p>
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<p>Not an excuse with QB, whose primary function is to inform low-income students and put them on the same competitive field as other, often more privileged students. (Really, please look into the program before making such statements; the overwhelming majority of QB applicants don’t fall prey to the assumption you’re making.)</p>