<p>Certainly some headmasters personally take some kids to visit colleges and meet with admissions, professors, etc. And of course gc’s are talking to admissions officers (they had better be!). But of course the competition to get from these kinds of school is harder too. Kid x would have often have had better chance as a shoo-in as a val from an inner city or rural school, but is competing with dozens super-credentialed kids at the elite school for a few slots…</p>