I think she is remarkable.

I think you can absolutely buy your way to higher SAT scores and Stanford, though. Between my first SAT and my final SAT, I increased I think about 150 points. I did modest test prep - I did a Kaplan book by myself, and I took a free class one afternoon at the public library. Meanwhile, Eileen Gu had aggressive test prep as part of her elite private schooling. She was also intentionally groomed for Stanford by her school. For schools like that, Stanford is the end goal.

I think my husband is very remarkable too. As a child, he used to practice the same basketball shot for four hours at a time. I mean, literally on repeat. That's remarkable! He was an excellent basketball player... But he got injured, and of course there was no surgery for him, and once he was old enough to work, there was no basketball for him anyway.

My husband spent his childhood watching his parents not eat, and worrying that his parents were going to get deported. He didn't care about prepping for Stanford!

I hear what you're saying - obviously Eileen Gu is remarkable. Most rich kids don't almost ace their SATs and get gold medals.

Most kids of undocumented refugees don't get out of poverty, either. I call us middle class, but I don't think we really are. We're doing okay. My husband has been through crazy stuff to get to where he is right now - and I do think people like him are remarkable. That includes people like Eileen Gu. But it's all about where you start. Eileen Gu started pretty high already.

Fwiw, I read faces - just an ability I have, lol - and Eileen Gu is a straight sociopath. People might look like sour grapes (and maybe some are), but I bet a lot of people are reacting to the fact that she's got a lot of antisocial stuff going on, even if they don't realize that's why they dislike her so much.