<p>I am a parent of an ED applicant. This is my first going to college. However, I’ve done my homework, have a former UPenn admissions director as a neighbor, and have spent many hours with coaches from the Ivies and NESCAC discussing admission. </p>
<p>First thing I note is that virtually every kid who wants to be “chanced” has extraordinary tests scores, GPA, EC’s, etc. Notice you don’t see the 1400 kids, etc ever asking. I have to believe as someone here recently posted is that we are only seeing the exceptional kids stats and there certainly is some (maybe not much) statistic inflation going on.</p>
<p>Couple of tidbits I can add here. The coach of the team my D is interested in told her to write a killer essay. Told her that to get a look you need over 1300 or 30 ACT. </p>
<p>Second, I am not a statistician and do not have the time to do it anyway, but whatever numbers you use, remember you can play the statistics to infer anything you want. </p>
<p>Thirdly, my neighbor above gave me some interesting pointers. Here are a few. One, tests scores mean more than most colleges say BUT not as much as students and parents think. Two, demographics of the applicant pool play a significant role year to year. The admissions offices are making adjustments to the class right up to the last minute. Add a male here, take a female there, take out an engineering here add a southwest history male here. You get my drift. Of course there are trends, non-ethnic noreastern kids from suburbia are at a disadvantage, the talented kid from North Dakota is got a leg up. </p>
<p>Bottom line, maybe I’ll be proven wrong, but I cannot believe that if you don’t have a 1500/2300 you don’t have a shot. </p>
<p>PS- I got one to totally make you scratch your heads!!! Just remembered. Two years ago I met a young girl from my area that was a dynamic/mature young woman. I wasn’t in the college search mode but I rembember this. She had 1000 on her SAT’s, was a model UN finalist of some sort. ACCEPTED to Dartmouth. No legacy, no development, non-athlete.</p>