| "NSM, why do you presume his family paid big bucks for test prep? Believe it or not, folks, some kids get perfect and near-perfect scores on those tests without prepping for them."
Because there's every evidence that this kid's parents were pulling out all of the stops to get him into Harvard. Not only was that stated in a TV report, but parents do not quit their jobs to drive their kids to research opportunities.
Who'd need to do that anyway? One could use one's salary to pay for a driver if transportation were needed.
There also is a lot of emphasis in the stories about this kid on the fact that he scored perfectly twice. Clearly, the student and his family thought perfection (scores, EC, sports, community service, research) would be the ticket to Harvard.
Meanwhile, in real life, I know someone who did get a perfect SAT/ACT score and didn't do extraordinary prep. Wasn't trying to get into Harvard. Parents didn't quit jobs to devote their lives to polishing her resume. She didn't even apply to Harvard. Another Ivy, not HPY, was her first choice based on what she wanted in a college experience, and that is where she's going. |