Well I just heard a live interview with the head of admissions who said “character” is the main thing. He further said they are looking for “good people” who can “benefit others and the school.”
Not to be snarky, but maybe the “character” discussion has come to the fore in light of the recent prep school rape case where the accused had been admitted to Harvard.
“Character” has been a Harvard admissions buzzword long before Labrie sent in his application.
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/04/a-historic-year-for-harvard-admissions/
Fair enough. But I am sure they won’t be letting up on it any time soon, either. I personally think it is quite difficult for colleges to pierce through the shell of a high performing applicant these days to figure out the real person underneath. Kids are smart enough to brown nose their recommenders even if they are real jerks outside the classroom.