The Myth of American Meritocracy - food for thought?

[Periwinkle]

<p>Sarum, you wrote,

Re apply for the second semester sophomore year, where admissions don’t generally look at SAT scores or HS transcripts. Many of the freshman of the leet colleges aren’t going to make it past Freshman year due to the fact they weren’t properly vetted by admissions and don’t really have what it takes to live and succeed in a rigorous academic environment (away from home).

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<p>Weiss was not accepted by Princeton, Yale, The University of Pennsylvania, and Vanderbilt. Of those four colleges, the lowest retention rate (sophomores returning for freshman year) is Vanderbilt’s 96%. When one considers the influence of financial pressures and the (unpredictable, but statistically likely) emergence of psychological problems in early adulthood, elite college admissions officers do a great job choosing their classes.</p>

<p>Yes, students from prominent boarding schools who do not get into their hearts’ desire in the first round of admissions may do well as transfer students–I have heard that opinion before. On the other hand, it also attests to how difficult it can be to stand out at the most competitive boarding schools.</p>