<p>Also remember that admissions people speak about “building a class”-- they need academics to be sure, but also, athletes, debaters, artists, “math-letes”, student government types, racial, socio-economic and geographic diversity, and, oh yes, tuba players.</p>
<p>You or your child may be a terrific kid and done everything right but they really really needed a tuba player not another cellist.</p>
<p>It can be that arbitrary.</p>