“Institutional priorities” is the fancy-schmancy way of explaining why an admissions officer may choose an All-State oboe player with a 3.6 GPA over a champion chess player with a 3.8 GPA. Quite simply, the college may be looking to maintain its distinction as having one of the most prestigious college symphonies in the country, and their last oboe player is graduating. This same college may be perfectly fine with its chess club finishing in the middle of the pack at most com