With regard to his course selection, at the most selective colleges, admissions officers will tell you that they want to see "really good grades" in advanced classes, such as A.P.s, or in an I.B. curriculum.
Many factors contributed to the tightening of the competition at the most selective colleges, admissions deans and high school counselors said, among them demographics.
High schools need to stop measuring their success only by the number of admissions into the most selective colleges.
Most selective colleges use the standardized online admissions form, which allows students to apply to any of 488 participating colleges.
What concerned the two professors, they said, was that in the high-stakes world of admissions to the most selective colleges -- and with it, entry into the country's inner circles of power, wealth and influence -- African-American students whose families have been in America for generations were being left behind.
The key feature of the brochure for my present purposes is a table on the second page purporting to quantify what is referred to as "The CPS Advantage" in admissions to the most selective colleges and universities in the nation.
We will not argue that admissions decisions at the most selective schools are always fair, and certainly we will not suggest that they always make sense to those outside the admissions committee.
This is particularly useful for students seeking admission to the most selective institutions, because they may apply to a dozen or more.
Bronx Science, from which Mr. Levy graduated in 1970, is one of the city's most selective schools, requiring a test for admission.
That revelation was a major scandal in academic circles, where Ms. Jones was well known for trying to help students calm down as they competed for admission to the most selective colleges.
