<p>An Admission Counselor's blog on how she reviews an application:</p>
<p>Admissions</a> Blogging - Office of Admissions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison</p>
<p>This blog concludes with these recommendations:</p>
<ol>
<li>Take honors and AP classes, when you can </li>
<li>Trend upwards </li>
<li>Four years of high school matters more than an ACT or SAT exam </li>
<li>Write both statements, answer the questions, and distinguish yourself </li>
<li>The quality of your letters of recommendation matters more than quantity</li>
</ol>