^^^ It had to have been something. I did not ask for specifics. The young lass was a good student, but not our top even for her own year. She was first gen, but that’s the only hook I knew about (other than perhaps our rural zip code being one they don’t get many applications from even if we’re not all that distant geographically). Sports were not a factor. I suspected it had to have been a fabulous essay that reached the right person or something. I’ll admit to still wondering.
I also know a student who got a really good package from another school not well known for aid - also first gen. He is a super good student (great work ethic), but not if you looked at his SAT score (around 1200 - good for our school, but…just below average for the school in question - I just googled). I have a pretty good feeling his letters of recommendation made the difference. I know I wrote one of them, but other teachers who have had him feel similarly. The college will not be disappointed. The lad will go far. We’re glad he got an affordable decent destination. He would not have been able to attend otherwise.
Sometimes I think kids just click with admissions. I feel for students when this doesn’t happen and they end up not being able to attend (somewhere). In our area, this often means getting a basic job and few go on to try again. Too many end up with less than ideal futures. Not everyone is cut out for trades or the military (other options some kids use, of course). More could perhaps go the CC route than do, but even that is financially challenging for many kids/families - esp when they think about the last two years. PA is not a particularly good “affordable options” state. Last I checked we were third highest of all states even for state schools.
I know if I ever won one of those mega lotteries a good portion would go to scholarships, but since we rarely play (stats is one of the courses I sometimes teach), it remains just a dream.