<p>I mean that once you get to a certain point, people are so talented that the SAT score doesn't really say anything about a person. Pretty much, in the top group, ALL SAT scores will be above 1550. It's like an IQ test. The difference between a genius and an average person is 30-40 points. But the difference between an uncommon genius (160+ IQ) and a regular genius is just that great. Same thing with grades. Because getting an A- is the same thing as getting an A+ for your GPA, a person who was always at the top of his class and the person on the good side of the A-B edge will be the same.</p>
<p>My point is you can have a decent chance of making it into a ultra-selective college if your grades are excellent, SAT scores pretty much perfect, and EC's above average. But it will still have a large luck factor. Princeton takes you, Harvard doesn't, Stanford does, Yale doesn't, etc. You have no guarantees and you must work to please the adcoms. But if you stand out, the admissions officers will look for YOU.</p>
<p>There's simply too much talent out there. Much better to show dedication, character, integrity, and a genuine love for something than to get straight A's and perfect SAT scores. You can make up bad test scores for something uncommon. But you can't make up a lackluster personality with good test scores.</p>
<p>But what I have said is rarely applicable. The uncommon students typically HAVE the good grades/test scores. However, the high-achieving but typical people often try to load their apps with a lot of EC's, which unfortunately are not the result of true dedication.</p>