We agree that was their message. I just believe it is a flawed one, particularly as it relates to scholarships for Val. A Val in one school might not be remotely comparable to another one. For one thing, all else being equal, it is easier to be a val in a small school than in a large one. But things are not remotely equal. The average student in D’s high school is beyond the 90th percentile and it is far easier to make NMF than to have the highest GPA (the school doesn’t rank anyway). And there are schools at the opposite end where a VAL there would struggle at a moderately competitive school.
Your kids are clearly talented and WPI was fortunate your kids seriously considered or attended WPI.
IMO what matters for strong students is having a sufficiently large cohort of peers at or above their level so they are challenged. Neither BU or Northeastern has an overall student body comparable to Harvard or MIT. However BU and Northeastern can attract students through scholarships including those for NMSF to create a strong honors program cohort that is every bit as strong as the average MIT or Harvard class. I just don’t see the same thing happening at WPI (too small, and test-optional doesn’t help), but perhaps I am mistaken.