<p>What top schools (just really good ones...obviously subjective) are generally less stat driven, and more EC+essays+recs focused?</p>
<p>I think a lot of the higher schools place more emphasis on those simply because a lot of the applicants have really high stats. One suggestion as a way to find this would be to look at their applications (supplements for Common App) and see what they look for.</p>
<p>U of chicago</p>
<p>I think schools that make SAT/ACT/etc. optional concentrate more on "the whole package." Such as Bowdoin, Mount Holyoke if you're a girl, etc.</p>
<p>Stanford is a good example.</p>
<p>Brown maybe? I'm just speculating</p>
<p>It matters what your gpa and test scores are. No matter how great your essay, reccs and ECs are, it's unlikely that any college -- including top ones -- will overlook weak scores or grades. </p>
<p>Sure, the Ivies may take students with unweighted gpas a low as 3.0, but those are millionaire donors' kids or nationally ranked athletes.</p>
<p>The students who get into Chicago, Brown, Stanford still have high stats.</p>
<p>Oh, of course one needs to have great stats--but which place the most emphasis on essay+recs+ECs when looking at a student (I'm not asking which schools place more emphasis on Ecs and etc. INSTEAD of stats, but which just place a lot of emphasis on stuff besides stats)</p>
<p>To sum up then (as current answers):
Bowdoin
Holyoke
Brown
Stanford
Chicago</p>
<p>Thanks! Do you guys have any other ones?</p>
<p>Johns Hopkins...one of the reasons it's my number 1 choice</p>
<p>Basically all top schools where the majority of applicants are above what they want stat-wise since they can't pick all of them so they have to pick between them using the subjective things.</p>