<p>It is absolutely true that a minority of students at top American schools get into the schools for reasons other than academic merit. But the rest of the admits are stronger academically on average than their peers at Oxbridge. The top 1% of school leavers in the UK are pretty much guaranteed a spot at Oxbridge. The top 1% of school leavers in the States have a very low chance of making it over the Harvard, Yale and Princeton hurdle. Most need to be in the top half of one percent to have a chance, and then the majority are still turned away.</p>