<p>LORs:</p>
<p>Strong LORs (letters of rec) are a must. How do you get them? By getting to know your profs, office hours, class participation, research, etc. Target profs to get to know and pursue them. Great LORS can make up for less than stellar numbers, a bit.</p>
<p>The bigger the school, the harder this is to do. My DD at a small LAC was as close to profs her first term there as my Berkeley DD was winter of her senior year. When the prof is grading 1200+ people in Ochem it is more difficult to connect.</p>
<p>This is another reason why DD and several of her friends took a gap year, they needed that senior year to further connect with profs. DD had what seemed to be a great rapport with several profs and it was still like pulling teeth to get those LORs actually written, typed, submitted to Interfolio etc.</p>