My daughter is a current freshman.
We are actually friends with someone in admissions who is quite high up. She had nothing to do with my daughters acceptance, 100%. With that being said, she did tell me dates up front etc but nothing to jeopardize her job. She said there’s a board of interviewers. My daughter had to interview for the Hollingsworth so maybe it’s different this year. Our friend said the board interviewing Greenville county kids did not live in Greenville county etc, so there’s a high chance they don’t know the kids. Another friend of mine who is a guidance counselor at a high school is on an interviewer board and she had kids from Columbia in her group as she lives in Greenville county.
As far as deciding the Bell Tower…I don’t know as all they have to go on is the application, so stats and essay etc.