I didn't see where anyone had pointed this out on this thread (sorry, if I missed it), but there are significant overlaps among the various categories -- e.g. many legacies are athletes and/or top students and/or gifted musicians and/or talented actors; some of the athletes accepted ED are also highly qualified students (I believe the guy who posted his stats on this or another recent thread is a prime example of this) and have a multitude of talents. You say that the admissions officer said there were only a few spots left over for "legitimate" (and I have a hard time believing that the admissions officer used that word) candidates. I understand what you're saying (and saying the admissions offer said), but please don't think of or refer to those other candidates as not being "legitimate."
