Why 'Middle 50%' Scores Aren't Enough: A Mathematical Breakdown For The Country's Top Students

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Your child hit the middle 50% for grades and test scores. They should get in, right?

Wrong. And I'm going to prove it with math.

At Amherst College—one of the most elite liberal arts schools in the country—32% of incoming spots are reserved for recruited athletes. That drops the real acceptance rate for non-athletes from 3.1% to 2.1%. Same math applies at Georgetown, UVA, the Ivy Leagues, and nearly every top school in the US.

That "middle 50%" you've been targeting? It includes athletes who got in with lower stats because they were earmarked by a coach. If you're not an athlete, you're not competing against the middle 50%. You're competing against the top of the non-athlete pool.

This video breaks down the exact math—slot by slot, spot by spot—so you finally understand why so many qualified students get rejected.

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Website: https://collegeconsulting.us
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RESOURCES MENTIONED
📖 Book: "Who Gets In and Why" by Jeffrey Selingo: https://jeffselingo.com/books/who-get...
✉️ Notre Dame wrote our student a handwritten note: https://collegeconsulting.us/blog/not...
🔍 "Find Your Passion" is terrible advice: https://collegeconsulting.us/blog/fin...

0:00 - The question we get all the time
0:45 - Jeffrey Selingo's "Who Gets In and Why"
1:30 - Amherst College: Elite school, tiny enrollment
2:17 - Why athletes matter more than you think
3:42 - This applies to Ivy League schools too
4:26 - Amherst has MORE athletes than Alabama
5:57 - The zero-sum game of admissions
6:42 - What "earmarked slots" actually means
8:09 - Georgetown, Bucknell, UVA slot breakdowns
9:35 - The math: 490 spots, 15,818 applicants
11:23 - 157 spots reserved for athletes (32%)
13:21 - Real acceptance rate for non-athletes: 2.1%
14:26 - Why middle 50% is the wrong target
15:21 - Where Emily and Massimo fell (and still got in)
16:08 - Where YOU should actually be targeting
17:29 - If your child IS an athlete: lean in hard
18:13 - The bottom line for non-athletes