<p>It’s been a few years since I saw that documentary, but from what I remember, that girl did come from a top New York high school, one of those Ivy feeder ones, and presumably excelled there academically, even if she didn’t get quite a 4.0. That definitely worked in her favor. </p>
<p>Going off of what one of the other posters said about there not being a magic formula, I think that at the end of the day, a lot of it has to do with luck. Why are some applicants accepted, while other, equally qualified applicants are rejected? It’s hard to determine.</p>