I think that the elite colleges might actually look toward special cases of students who overcame hardships or had unusual personal narratives, and be more generous in admitting them as transfers than they would students who simply wanted to “trade up.” A kid who struggled, possibly served a term in the military, and then attended a community college while working, for instance, earning astronomical grades, might display greater leadership potential than a kid who simply gets good grades on a straight academic trajectory. Most of these colleges are even more selective in transfer admissions than they are in freshman admissions, and they want something more than students chasing brand prestige.