@halflokum - you described our high school and the school’s college counselor to a T!!! “They know who we are” and “Our regular classes are like advanced everywhere else” are oft-repeated. My D had to tell the counselor what a BFA was, but she knows how to help kids get in the Ivies! While our school does offer AP classes and weights grades, it is academically rigorous, so our smart kid didn’t look very smart on paper!