<p>I understand your reasoning, but it is all speculation. There is no proof that these numbers affect the counselor’s ratings, for example. In fact, it was clearly demonstrated that the counselors tend to rank the local state schools and other ones in their area more highly than the school’s stats would place them, regardless of issues such as % admitted. It is all rather a tragedy, the way the rankings have skewed many people’s common sense. But that is another issue.</p>
<p>As far as how % admitted plays to public perception, granted it has some effect. But for the vast majority of students, they are going to look at the average stats of the people being admitted and/or enrolling, and see how their stats stack up against that. Then they might look at % admitted and things like that. Of course I am not including Harvard and the few super selective schools in that, because they are in a category by themselves.</p>