<p>One additional thought…I might highlight an area that the campus might like to strengthen, not the area that it already highlights, because it has a lot of students already wanting to come there to do that. Not necessarily a weakness, but more of an area that is a secondary strength. For example, my nephew was deferred from a very selective school last year, very well known for its premed research…when he wrote his letter, he focused on a scientific political advocacy group on campus that he wanted to be involved in as an extension of his work on a campaign he had been involved in, and also mentioned how he had loved an improv performance he had attended while visiting a friend at that campus, and how he also wanted to be involved in the improv group.</p>
<p>I think that this letter helped him get in during the regular round, because all academic things being equal, the admissions committee could envision what he would do FOR the school…they could see him on campus, not just as a transcript.</p>