<p>I know of a person with ACT36, SAT2300, state piano champion for years, SATII 800,800,780, top of class (500+ students), first place in Math competitions, first pace Science competitions, strong leadership, strong EC, and strong recommandations who is waitlisted Cornell and U Penn and rejected everywhere else. But another one with ACT 32 and so so EC got admitted into Harvard but rejected everywhere else. It is unpredictble. Those top schools don’t know what they are missing. (Maybe they are afraid of the first one ‘burn out’ in college and think the second one is healthier? Otherwise why Harvard dean of admission write about and encourage gap year?)</p>