Why does a super student get rejected?

I was reading posts on the listserve of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

One discussion was interesting enough that I'm summarizing it. I'm sure it would be un-kosher to do any copy/pasting even anonymously, but I'll just describe it.

A very high-achieving, highly qualified student (male, Chinese) was denied by a top university, though less-impressive students from the same school were admitted. The poster asked for comments from others with experience.

Some comments, summarized:

• One poster had a similar experience, contacted the college and learned it had been a mistake.
• You can try pursuing it, but it's a long shot.
• The fact that the student is Chinese could be a red flag, because sometimes Chinese names can be exactly the same as others'. He may have been mixed up with another applicant. (Note: this is a very large university with a high number of Chinese students and applicants.)
• It could be that the university perceives that the student is unlikely to accept.
• The student could try transferring later from a school that accepted him.
• One poster has seen such things frequently this year: lesser students accepted over more-impressive students, and students denied by less-prestigious colleges but accepted by more-prestigious ones.
• Appeal and keep trying (several responses say).
• The university may simply not feel he's a "good fit."