| The "awesomeness" of your essay is all subjective. My friend felt that he wrote the perfect essay for MIT, but I felt it was very dull. He didn't get in.
Your international status also hurts you. You also haven't mentioned what your recommendation letters were like (doesn't apply to Berkeley, I know). For top schools like the ones you listed, EVERYTHING is important. Just because you didn't get in doesn't mean that essays aren't important. |