I think what everyone is saying is that you need to be well rounded, an exceptional student and be really gifted at a particular thing. All of this needs to be done by the time you are 17 (or younger if you have grade skipped) but no pressure! All the while research indicated that you will most likely be more successful long term if you are one of these students and choose to go to a less prestiges school where you are in the top 2% versus going to one of the ivy league schools and being in the middle 50th or even the top quartile. Why are people trying to get in these school's again???