<p><em>shrugs</em> We can’t tell you why you were rejected. The simple answer is that they had an outstanding pool of applicants and they couldn’t choose everyone.</p>
<p>Just because you got rejected from Smith doesn’t mean you won’t be accepted to Grinnell. Grinnell is a less popular option for very top students because of its location and the lack of name recognition; they also probably have less international students and may have more of a vested interest in getting more to come, again because of its location.</p>
<p>Also, read that Globe article. This is very true especially at top liberal arts colleges. They don’t just want the students with straight As and top scores; they want interesting students who will enrich the atmosphere.</p>