So I came across a scatter plot of Columbia admissions, the said plot happened to show quite a few (enough to cause rumination) High GPA/Low SAT scores admitted, as well as High SAT/Lower GPA admitted. Now of course there are exceptions, those being international students, whose English isn’t up to par - so forth. Considering these findings, I’m curious as to how and what makes those applicants shine through to an Ivy board of admissions. It almost births the thought that there is such a thing as innate/distinguishable “ivy” students, perhaps an ivy temperament or disposition - despite a GPA or SAT score that would say elsewise. Thoughts?
Usually some type of hook or they happen to be very good at something that the college admissions office likes.
Sometimes someone with very high ACT scores will have also taken the SAT and completely whiffed on it, or vice versa. There are also prep schools out there with very rigorous curricula, where the highest GPA in a graduating class is a 3.7 or 3.8. And there are families who just happened to drop $100 million dollars for a new dorm renovation coincidentally in the same year that their kid is applying to the school.
Some lower scores/grades can be offset by great essays, LORs, and ECs. Others can be offset by being recruited as a varsity athlete, applying with legacy status, or having rich parents who donated a hefty sum. There are definitely people at my school (HYP) who got in through that last method.
" It almost births the thought that there is such a thing as innate/distinguishable “ivy” students, perhaps an ivy temperament or disposition - despite a GPA or SAT score that would say elsewise [sic]."
No such a thing. Under what you’ve already mentioned, “Holistic Approach,” all things are possible if the AdComs like the applicant for any variety of reasons, including the ones already mentioned by other posters above.
Are you referring to the Naviance scattergrams? Those outliers are likely URM, legacies, athletes etc.
Holistic helps find unconventional applicants and hidden gems but it also provides a cover to do whatever they want to fullfill institutional needs. Not only it saves them from criticism and lawsuits, it gives false hopes to students with no prayer for admissions to apply as a gamble, which helps lower acceptance rates.