And there are recruited athletes who will get in with a 28 ACT. And development admits who will get in with a 30 ACT. And promising URMs who will get in with 29 ACT. And a celebrity’s son who will get in with a 32. It’s not a linear process. Students are admitted for all kinds of reasons, fair or unfair. Think of it like casting a play, rather than selecting the smartest students.
And since when is a 34 ACT “on the low side” for Princeton, Dartmouth, and Stanford? Princeton’s middle 50% is 32-35. Dartmouth mid 50% is 30-34, with a 32 mean.