[NhanH]

Same thing here in Vietnam. But I don’t think it detracts from the point (standardized testing is good for social mobility).

Normally almost everyone know roughly how competitive your own self is, so only people at the margin of admission has to care. There are some majors where everyone is at the margin (sometimes it get to 29.75 out of 30 as the cutoff), but at that point, it really doesn’t matter who you would get among all those people, and the effect is roughly the school pick a subset of very talented and hardworking student at random. Again, doesn’t affect the mobility issue

[lordnacho]

And you have one bad day and you lose your lottery ticket...

You catch a flu, your grandma dies, maybe you menstruate...

[cuteboy19]

Can't you try next year?

[lordnacho]

Why can't you try in 3 months? Everyone who had some unforeseen event must find money to live another year?