<p>Well the question is quite simple as the titles says it all. Most of you might have had this question in their minds and I'm pretty sure you all might have come across the same answer I got i.e. every single portion counts. But I was just wondering, in your own opinion, what is that part of the application that matters the most to an admission officer? Or better yet, on what percentage these factors stand in the admission process?</p>
<p>A) Your SAT/ACT score?
B)Your High School Transcripts
C)Your Personal Statement
D)The Supplementary Essays</p>
<p>P.S I think i'm going to skip the Financial Aid, because everyone knows that they are the most critical part cos the ones who can afford attending college would ultimately stand a better chance then the ones in need of aid.</p>
<p>and this is just for general information on what everyone's views are on the whole application process, I'm not saying that anyone should focus on one critical portion of the app process, like i said every thing counts in their own way.</p>
<p>Lacking severely in one of the 4 areas mentioned above will make significantly lower your chances in a top tier institution. <---- Just trying to emphasize how important each part is.</p>
<p>I’d say the transcript, rigor of secondary courses you took and results in your final/national examinations are the most important, then the sats and your essays.</p>
<p>I would like to second huss182 that it REALLY depends on where you are applying. Less selective universities will care the most about your academic records. The more selective universities though have a lot of applicants qualified to attend, so other factors become much more important, most importantly your extra-curricular engagement.</p>
<p>Something to think about: I heard from a former admissions staff member at Princeton that they used to assign two numbers to each applicant, rating the applicant’s academic and non-academic achievement. 4 stands for an international recognition, 3 for national, 2 for regional, 1 for local. Successful applicants needed at least a 3+2 combination, though not every 3+2 applicant was offered admission.</p>
<p>Also, you forgot to include letters of recommendation. They are arguably at least as important as standardized test scores.</p>
<p>I think that once you meet a certain threshold for grades/test scores it becomes all about your EC’s, essays, and recommendations. That would be the only way to explain why colleges turn down many Valedictorians with perfect test scores every year. Now what that threshold is (for grades/test scores) would depend on the specific university.</p>
<p>Yes, essays matter, but in a less well-defined way. Oftentimes essays will elaborate on interests or accomplishments stated elsewhere in your application and then it’s not entirely clear how much weight is carried by the actual accomplishments vs the way you wrote about them. </p>
<p>A “why college X?” essay probably won’t get you accepted but blowing it might be enough for a rejection.</p>
<p>The worst essays <em>in my opinion</em> are the ones where students try to portray themselves in a way that’s not at all supported by other pieces of their application.</p>