<p>Why isn't on CC that people on here don't stress that you have to be a good fit for that college especially the alumni who went to a certain school?</p>
<p>All I see on here is "you must have higher test scores" or "more EC's, show colleges you're doing something." Or worse, when someone is discouraged from applying because other high school students on here say "you don't have the grades/scores/ECs/hook/spike/race" to get in.</p>
<p>And those people who listen to that get lost in the noise and apply to a college that they never have really liked if they were to attend after being admitted, so in reality the admissions office could be doing that student a huge favor (in some cases, not all when it comes to deferral or rejection).</p>
<p>We all know it's not enough to be qualified, to be a certain race/ethnicity, to be an aficionado in a certain extracurricular, or to be the "best student your teacher has had in x amount of years".</p>
<p>Hell, although you write the essays of your life, no matter how immaculate they may be, still you could not even get you your dream school.</p>
<p>Do you think prestige factor blinds the majority in this competitive college cycle today? Is it even harder after visiting a college to decide which is the right one for you, or for everyone you're trying to impress?</p>
<p>First of all, what constitutes a "match" in terms of selective admissions? Would it be how you line up with the schools philosophy? Or how an adcom can picture you in the culture of that school? </p>
<p>From the applicants point of view, how can one pick the right school for himself/herself if they have the grades, the scores, the ECs, and the essays to boot? Must they do extensive research on a school? Do they need to ask current students about their time an experience at a certain college/university? Should they stay overnight and shadow a student?</p>
<p>Or is the match between a college and an applicant too subject to define?</p>