[majormajor]

> But they're surrounded by people trying to help them get in.

Do you mean helicopter parents? Or referring to the administration?

[Psychlist]

I mean supportive parents, and very likely also a supportive school and supportive community. "led a youth group" on the application doesn't arise in isolation, any more than high grades in external exams come from homeschooling (they can in both cases, but you're in the 0.1% of the 1% who get into Stanford territory).

[heffer]

I understood it as meaning a social and academic environment that is supporting them in getting into Stanford.