Really?? Accepted BECAUSE of strength in chess, or because of skills they gained from chess? I have never heard of chess figuring in college acceptance, though I suppose I have lots ot learn about that.
The most selective colleges (Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Princeton) all have far more valedictorians applying than they could possibly accept, so what makes some candidates, including those that are not valedictorians, get selected?
My nephew at Yale (not niece as I said earlier) thinks they look for "pointy people" as opposed to well-rounded people. They look for applicants that absolutely excel at what they do, whether it is academic research (my nephew's strength), sports, national math/science contests, musical instruments, drama, community service, or yes, even chess (his roommate was ranked 2nd nationally).
