<p>Yes, it is accurate.
Keep in mind that people with great recs and essays probably also have great SAT scores. Secondly, nobody can be auto-admitted without achieving the highest (5) score in standardized testing. That is, besides having excellent recs and essays, you must also have great testing.
Essays + recs are not "worth more"; if you get over the SAT hump, THEN they mean a lot.</p>