<p>This topic is in response to the many who wonder whether they'll get into the college of their choice by posting their numbers, when in the long run, it's the ESSAY that determines your admission.</p>
<p>Listen, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford, etc. all get around 15,000 valedictorians with 1500+ (well, now 2250+ i guess) each year applying, and they only let in about 10,000, and they sure as hell aren't all valedictorians from that pool.
If you have a GPA around 4.15 or above, and your SATs are about 2100, you can get into the college of your choice with an off-the-charts essay. It's what makes you interesting, and that's the most important thing a college can look for. You don't think the commitees that decide get tired of the "4.32, 2210, etc. etc." students who write the exact same type of essay? If you have those numbers, kudos to you, but even with a 4.8, 2400 you aren't guaranteed admissions to anywhere. Not to say all those 4.32's write the same essays, but many MANY do, and that is the reason they get rejected. Not because "well, we were looking more for a 4.41 and a 2270, sorry." If you write a creative essay that goes into a lot of detail and shows a plausible thought process in addition to those scores, you're golden.</p>
<p>I hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think we really have as much control over our destiny as you think. Many colleges will use our applications as puzzle pieces to see how we fit in with what they want or need.
I'm going to write my heart out on the essay, but I'm not deluding myself. It all boils done to numbers, being in the right place at the right time and a little bit of luck. Maybe we can sway the tide with our essays, but I'm not counting on it.</p>
<p>I don't think it all boils down to numbers, but good stats help. It depends a lot on what school you want to attend. UCLA or Cornell or somewhere big will focus on your tests and variety of ECs. Amherst, Vassar, etc. care more about you as a person, and get an overall picture from the essay. IMO, a good essay is absolutely essential, whereas numbers will only get you so far. There are plenty of people who get turned down by HYPS with 800s across the board.</p>
<p>But schoolgurl, you are right that we don't have complete control over our destinies. The adcoms might be looking for more philosophy majors that year, or they need someone with lower/higher stats to balance out the student body, or they're woefully lacking in soccer players or something. For the big places, you can just send in your best and pray.</p>
<p>Having ECs that help round out the class are important, too. Those colleges could fill up their freshman class with valedictorians and NHS presidents, but want to have a wider range of interests and skills represented.</p>
<p>Well, I'd have to say that if someone received a 1700 and had a 2.8 gpa but wrote a spectacular, oh-my-gosh Pulitzer-winning essay that they still might not get in.</p>
<p>Instead of saying the negative of Vagrant's post, try to look into what he/she (sorry!) is saying. I wrote a looong little post similar to this (check my post if you care to see). Basically, SATs and gpa will show the colleges if you are capable of handling a heavy course load. If they see that you can handle a heavy course load, then great round II for you. If the colleges see you can't handle their school (or may hurt their statistics.. ;) ), then you are given less of a shot.</p>
<p>On round II, colleges are looking into our essays and/or interviews, not to mention our letters of reccomendations. They are trying to look for a type of creative character, someone that makes the colleges say, 'wow that student would definately bring life to our campus.' If you succeed in both round I and II, you are golden, ;)</p>