<p>That's a good question. I'm not an adcom so I don't know the answer, but I've always assumed that this might be the case, especially in instances where a kid gets admitted to some top college that no one from that high school has gotten into in recent memory. It seems reasonable that, when applicant #2 comes along a year or two later, the college might look and see how student #1 is doing - not to make or break the deal, but as another data point help discern how well that high school is doing in preparing its kids for the academic rigors of a selective college.</p>