<p>All the time I hear (mostly on this site) kids with awesome stats and GPAs with very outstanding extra curriculars get rejected at really competitive schools. </p>
<p>Do you guys think, whether from personal experience or from someone you know, that a lot of kids with outstandingly impressive credentials tend to overlook the importance of their essays? I'm just trying to figure out why so many awesome people get rejected. </p>
<p>So what do y'all think? If you got rejected from HYPSM etc and had awesome (I mean really awesome) stats, do you think you overlooked your essays? Do you know really outstanding applicants who you know for sure didn't pay attention to essays? </p>
<p>I'm just your average paranoid junior trying his best to piece together the mysteries of the college process.</p>
<p>"95% of essays do nothing for the candidate, 2% help the candidate, 3% hurt the candidate"</p>
<p>I forget where I heard that, though having just gone through the college admissions experience, I don't doubt it.</p>
<p>Just write a pretty good essay and let your grades, scores, and ECs propel you into the crapshoot that is highly selective college admissions.</p>
<p>Stats rarely get a person admitted when it comes to HYPSM, where 1/3 of the applicants are valedictorians and half of them score over 2150.</p>
<p>Also, keep in mind that 95% of statistics are fabricated, 3% are useless, and only 2% are helpful.</p>
<p>Also, remember that 95% of douchebags spend time on CC, 3% whatever.</p>
<p>^ And apparently 2% of people don't even exist in the first place.</p>
<p>No, I don't think it's the essays that get them rejected. It's the fact that there are just not enough spots for way too many applicants. Maybe H was looking for a tuba player and they played the trombone... oh well, reject. It happens- an admissions officer at Amherst said that's sometimes why they reject, and many other top schools work in the same way.</p>
<p>my advise would be... Do what you love to do and do it the best that you know how to do it. </p>
<p>You'll go crazy trying to think about what a particular college is looking for. They all want different things at different times of the application process. Just be "you" and be the best "you" that you can be.</p>
<p>Yeah...I know someone who had amazing stats (I can PM them if you're dubious) but got rejected at all the privates. He wrote essays that, apparently, "lacked passion".</p>
<p>sure, I'd love to hear what this person's stats were (although I'd probably get really depressed after reading them).</p>
<p>Most people I know who have really amazing stats have worked their butts off throughout high school to do well and make sure their essays are excellent. Most people with amazing stats are hard working and conscientious students who will continue to work hard on their essays. Also, most of them are savvy enough to get their essays edited by teachers and others, so they'll make sure they've got an essay that will impress admissions.</p>
<p>This doesn't always hold true and I think a bad essay can harm you, but most of those being rejected are simply rejected because everyone else applying has amazing stats too. When you've got schools accepting 8% of candidates, many perfectly qualified candidates--heck, OVERLY qualified candidates--are going to get rejected, whether they've got a great essay or not.</p>