Are EC's only important for top schools?

<p>Yes Northstarmom, there are many such schools. What I'm saying is that I feel it has become VERY hard for a pure intellectual to get into schools like Harvard, and that a school of its reputation, given how many people probably try to get in and go there, could easily attract more of these if it tried...and I'm saying it wouldn't be a bad idea.</p>

<p>I mean, now I look back on it...I might well have done well to apply to Harvard. I didn't. I mainly applied to in state schools. I'd choose Harvard and Berkeley for similar reasons...schools with lots of resources (partially due to size) and big math departments.</p>