<p>How unpredictable are the acceptances of Ivy-League schools? Are they really that unpredictable to choose a student with a lower GPA opposed to a higher GPA? Same with test scores?</p>
<p>Is it really just a crapshoot or random choosing?
Examples?</p>
<p>Why would that be unpredictable?</p>
<p>Most applicants are so qualified that the admissions officers have to look beyond grades for a determining factor.</p>
<p>it is NOT a complete crapshoot. if you look at the graduated seniors thread, you can clearly see why people with excellent scores and SAT's get rejected by top schools.
they look at your personality, passion and leadership abilities.</p>
<p>I think it HAS to be a tad arbitrary to an extent. They will have tens of thousands of applicants that have excellent grades, test scores, ECs, but who aren't greatly distinguishable from their peers on paper. The adcoms may just "like" how a person comes off in their essay more than another person. Obviously it's not completely random, but there has to be a degree of randomness in their decisions.</p>
<p>I think it may look arbitrary to someone outside the committee, but probably looks rational to the committee.</p>
<p>It's not perfect, nor is it a crapshoot.</p>