... except for the fact that Yale hates retakers. So even if ... all but screwed out of Yale because they could make a ... to be. Say goodbye to Yale but consider yourself lucky because ...
I'm spending it making a pros and cons list for Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Full-ride Columbia, Chicago, and NYU, fully knowing it will soon become a useless file.
The highest score is really the only one that counts at most schools outside of maybe Yale and the odd t-14 school where they preach a "holistic" approach and literally abide by it.
Yale/Stanford: the extra stuff matters a bit more than any other schools. At least that's the reputation they have.
The other 3 of the top 5 is primarily a numbers game.