One thing to remember about the stats colleges put out about how many of freshmen are in top 10%, top 25%. In almost every top LAC, the number of students reporting is way under half, usually a third or less. (You can check it in each college CDS). It is a questionable stat, and losing importance in admissions, as level of interest and sometimes essays are on the rise. Colleges want well-prepared student from great schools, with great profiles.