Can someone explain to me what is holistic admissions ?!! please
The admissions committee considers more than just your grades and your test scores. Your essays, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, etc. are also important for their decision.
Most selective colleges are trying to create communities, and so they consider ways in which an applicant can contribute. There are factors that will simply be out of your control. The college might want to enhance its orchestra, and needs more students who will play woodwinds instead of violinists. They might want more Russian or Physics majors in a given year, or feel they should have more students from the Rocky Mountain or Great Plains states than they currently have. These are likely to be colleges that can pick and choose among many highly-qualified applicants.
@woogzmama , awesome answer