By elite schools I mostly mean Harvard, Princeton, MIT and Stanford.
I feel like the bar for white or Asian students is so high that it's almost impossible to get in. Unless you're the valedictorian of a highly prestigious high school or you are genuine prodigy, excellent academics still won't get you accepted. For students from very rich families it's a different story. You can hire people who know how to game the system. You can get SAT tutors and hire professionals to write your essay. Your family can donate large sums to the school. Your can do progressive sounding extracurriculars like "I'm a VP at a charity(that my dad owns)" or "I teach students in undeserved inner city schools how to [insert something esoteric and somewhat academic]". If someone in your family are a celebrity or politician you are way more likely to get in. If you are associated with a tragedy you are more likely to get in(see David Hogg). Legacy students have an unfair and absurd advantage for being accepted.
Ultimately, what this means is that after of seats are taken by affirmative action and the children from wealthy families, it is impossible for whites or Asians from normal families to get in unless they are a one in a million prodigy. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were basically prodigies, however their families', although not rich, were still upper class. What upsets me most is that admissions will be way more impressed by some BS progressive sounding extracurricular rather than, for example, you worked a part time job to help your family. Rant over.