I didn't say "use criteria that don't correlate with wealth". I'm just saying that wealth can be used to boost SAT scores. Selective colleges are looking for s

I didn't say "use criteria that don't correlate with wealth". I'm just saying that wealth can be used to boost SAT scores. Selective colleges are looking for students who (a) meet a baseline for academic success there, and then (b) succeeded with respect to their opportunities, in ways that suggest future success is likely. Success looks different in different environments, and that includes different levels of wealth, access to institutions, community, etc. Much of the stress of this competitiveness comes from large wealthy metro areas and their suburbs, where the access to opportunity is generally huge. How do you demonstrate exceptional ability to succeed in an environment where you can't sneeze without hitting success?