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America is a big place and the Ivies are relatively few and very selective. There absolutely are tests and all serious applicants will have high 90th percentile scores as table stakes. That's why there are other, elaborate requirements.

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There are big places in a lot of places :) My point is if your tests were harder the distribution bell would not be as 'inflated' and you would not have as many people in the high 90th percentile. Allowing you to still use those scores alone without all the performative arms race.

See for example the International Baccalaureate programme and their point system normal distribution with thousands of kids from around the globe.

I can’t say that I was all that great at statistics, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how percentiles work.

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