<p>Truthfully, very few applicants fall into the “clear admit” category any more. If a student has both stats and national distinction, that is indeed a plus. However, much depends on other variables. For example: if a student is NOT applying for financial aid, that might be a plus, as colleges have a limited financial aid budget and students willing to pay full-fare are often needed to balance out the students that require financial aid. See:<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/business/economy/10reed.html[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/10/business/economy/10reed.html</a></p>