Let’s say someone applies to a top college like an Ivy or that level. He/she has reasonable grades (some As, some Bs) in some classes, many 4s and few 5s in APs, ok test scores (High 1400s-Low 1500s), some extracurricular, let’s say he/she plays piano, has won few school awards, and the personal essay is pretty decent according to the admissions, maybe about some road trip that was a big turning point in their life. Letter of Recommendations are great, showing how he/she operates in the classroom, always asking questions and curious about others have to say. This person might select a major, let’s say Sociology. His/her “Why” essay for the college is very convincing. He/she’s done a great deal of research on the school and talks about a unique program the school offers. He/she even mentions a great professor he/she wants to work with. It’s clear to admissions that the college will be perfect for this applicant.
However the admissions come across an applicant who is the top of class with the exact same classes as the former. Has the same APs but has more 5s. This person has entered in some state performances for the piano, even submitting a music portfolio which the former does not have. He/she has high 1500s test scores, several awards from some prestigious organizations, and a great essay that shows a great deal of the applicant’s personal journey (also detailing a road trip) to success or so. Letters of recommendation show the person’s significant contributions to the school, and how much he/she likes to help others in classes. This person also picks Sociology as a major. This applicant is almost a better version of the other applicant, definitely qualified, but there is one problem: his/her “Why” essay isn’t as convincing as the other person. It’s almost as if this great applicant didn’t put as much effort into the why question. He/she talks about some of the college’s environment but not going in depth on what it has to offer or something along those lines.
These applicants are the same in their interests and personality, but one expresses great interest in wanting to go, while the other one is more qualified even though his/her “Why” reason isn’t as good.
If you were on the admissions team and had to choose between one of these applicants, who would you choose?
I think @Eeyore123 ‘s comment is spot on - if you are talking about colleges with single digit admit rates, there will be enough applicants with both the excellent scores/ECs and the excellent essays, that adcom won’t feel a need to choose one of these. The ones that will sway it via essays/recs despite slightly lower scores are those that offer the college something other than “average excellent”.
Agree with @Eeyore123 that some other applicant who has top end academics, top end ECs, top end recommendations, and top end essays including the “why [this college]?” one, will be picked over the two hypothetical ones. (Or an applicant with a significant “hook” will be picked.)
Really, this is a variant of the “A in an easy class versus B in a hard class?” question. The colleges you are referring to want to admit those with A in hard class choices.
Agree with the others. This type of question is asked quite often on the website, and the answer is always the same. And hypotheticals aren’t helpful, anyway.
As an aside, “showing how he/she operates in the classroom, always asking questions and curious about others have to say.” Is pretty much a run of the mill LOR for “a top college like an Ivy or that level.”
A “great” LOR says things like:
“most outstanding student in my 30 year career”
“performing at college level since I first had the pleasure of having her in my class in 9th grade”
"when the accrediting team sat in on a class she was student teaching, they didn’t realize she was a HS student and said to the department chair: “great teacher, but she looks rather young, has she finished her ED MA yet?”
The hypothetical 3rd applicant @Eeyore123 wrote about.
For most schools, the higher test score and gpa will be more important because it improves the rating of the school. When a school is assessed by USNWR , as well as by students and parents, there is no way that the quality of the essays, LORs are going to show up. But SAT/ACT ranges are very much factors that are in consideration.
However, as everyone makes clear, when you start talking about the very top schools, they have enough students who hit all of the notes in that regard, that they do not have to make that decision.
What college? The chances #1 can pull this off with the grades and 4 AP scores, a SAT that may not match the range, are already rare. He seems to have picked a college he “wants,” without much attention to a self match. The essay topic needs to be relevant. You don’t get in for pleading it’s your love or your dream. You have to be what they want. Have to know what that is. Not certain you know what a strong app really is, in every respect. Yes, #2 can be sunk by a poor Why Us.
I agree, a competitive college might have trouble getting excited about either.
But I thought hypothetical speculation was discouraged on CC. As well as thinly veiled comparisons of two real candidates.
Really, for top universities, they will have much harder decisions to make between thousands of applicants who have both excellent academics and essays.