That is a fairly rude and dismissive response. The following is from Duke 3 years ago…
The Head of Admissions at the accepted students event described their admissions process as going through several rounds. The first round was an academic screening that served to eliminate approximately 1/2 of applicants and that those that passed this initial screen received a score based upon academic rigor and result that was weighed into final decisions. All candidates were then reviewed in greater detail with an eye on the more subjective aspects of the application.
In other words about 50% of candidates don’t get a second look beyond the quantitative measures and those with “perfect” scores or gpa advance to the second and final rounds with an advantage.
Statistically very tough to quantify but wrong to simply dismiss the disproportionately high acceptance rate of those with perfect scores.
Here is a picture taken at Cameron Stadium while Dean Guttentag spoke.
Similar processes were described to us (although not as explicitly) at several other elite school.
@tarator Are you really suggesting a candidate with perfect stats doesn’t have a better likelihood of success then a candidate with less then perfect? If so basis for your claim please beyond hyperbolic dismissiveness as it defies logic.