<p>You are ignoring that students that have the SATs but don’t have the GPA are also likely to be rejected. And no leadership in ECs is also a pretty big risk factor. There are other things besides the SAT that matter. But your chances are a whole lot better (read: miniscule + 1 vs. miniscule) if you have the whole package. Any gaps in those items and you slip down in the pool. My D has fantastic test scores, but her grades are just very good (not great), and no leadership in ECs (although some decent individual accomplishments). She did not apply to many top level schools, as we know what this means in terms of admissions.</p>