<p>I would also disagree with the statement that applicants from Asia are less well rounded. When I was at MIT, somebody I knew from Singapore was the top MIT tennis player and prior to that was one of the top players in her country. I got the sense from her that that was as important in getting admitted as her solid academic credentials.</p>
<p>Also, my cousin was a good but not stellar student and went to Tsinghua University (MIT of China). Why? Because she was recruited by the swim team. There are opportunites for extracurricular activities in China (for people who excel at sports anyways) which are not only looked upon favorably by MIT, but by Chinese universities themselves.</p>