<p>Happened to both my kids too – acceptances at reaches, waitlist or rejections at safeties.</p>
<p>Your question so relates to the temperament of the student and his/her values. D wanted to be at the most intellectual school she could find. She was very interested in student interviewers; when they didn’t get her Iliad references she cut the school from her list.</p>
<p>The school she ended up at has highly literate people, and she really enjoys this.</p>
<p>DS will sink to any level you let him. He’s a slug. I’m only kidding – he’s a great kid, but very laid back. A more demanding atmosphere just gets so much more out of him, and he wanted to find and give the best in himself. He also is at a “reach”. He was thrilled that watching a House episode with entry mates everyone got the “Schrodinger’s Cat” reference, even though Schrodinger was not mentioned, so I think this was essential for him, too.</p>
<p>D sometimes gets frustrated that her GPA isn’t as high as it would be at some schools, but she just got accepted into a wonderful study abroad program, and I’m pretty sure the pedigree of her school was a factor (not that I think it should be.)</p>
<p>These are just some of my thoughts.</p>