If a school rejects certain applicants around or above the 75th percentile, which top schools do, it seems logical that those students getting in at the 25th percentile have something sparkling in their applications - possibly hooks (not all hooked applicants are below the 25th), or something else that sets their application apart from many others. In this instance, the same applicant would probably get in TO anyway. As an applicant to an ivy, you’re wanting to present something in your application that sets you apart from the other 90-95% of applicants. A 25th percentile score is not going to be that.
It also seems to me from anecdotal evidence =posts here on CC, that some not insignificant number of applicants are applying TO to the ivies this year as they think they’ll have a chance they otherwise wouldn’t. I’m very curious to see what the final numbers are, and if (as I expect) it would lead to a noticeable rise on applications and consequent dip in admit rates.