<p>How important is the essay for purdue? I know it is listed "important" on the college board site, but do they really care if you have good grades and sat?</p>
<p>I’m sure they do care about the essay, apart from the essays and EC’s you’re basically a number in the applicant pool (gpa, test scores, etc). The essay and ECs are what sets you apart.</p>
<p>It’s a holistic approach :).</p>
<p>I think essays are very important and may be a differentiation factor when there are several candidates with same GPA/SAT/etc.</p>