Our local Valectorian, who dropped their Calculus AP class senior year, had a 32 ACT and got into Yale. This student didn’t win any national awards. This student did , at her parents insistence, take “highly gpa ranked” classes at a local community college. The classes were phycology, personal physical fitness, stats. Etc…this college applicant missed out on summers enjoying their youth. My Child ranked 5th with only a .10 point gpa behind the “Valedictorian” , 1590 SAT , enjoyed his summers and played tennis, didn’t win any national awards, visited family and now is at Princeton. I guess it really doesn’t matter what you do while applying, it is all based on luck if you have the essay that " gets" the reader.