>> a 2250 on his SAT, had taken 11 AP courses, and was in the top 2% of his graduating class, but ...
No “but”, the academic record is the reason.
Let's put it into context. The 2250 is a great score on what amounts to an IQ test. 2400 is a perfect score, but they're returning to the 1600 max "in a major overhaul intended to open doors to higher education for students who are now shut out."
The AP classes also show what he can do. Graduating in the top 2% means little depending on the school.
The essay is dullsville, but he deserves to get in if the criteria were simply academic. Those citing race as the major factor are ignoring all that.
Kids like that are honestly a dime a dozen in my children’s high school. They are Asian and white and they don’t get offers from all the Ivy Leagues. The geographic location is comparable, New York suburb/exurb.
I really do think that in this case, race was a factor as well. Not that he doesn’t deserve it, with those academics. Just that the elite schools don’t just take academics, they also look for something else, and I’m guessing they have minority goals they want to meet.