@compmom , further to your point on the relative importance of the three “subjectives”, in recent conversations I have had with 2 senior AO’s at Yale and the AO responsible for the region where I live, when the subject came up of what differentiates candidates all with super competitive HS records and test scores, the LoR’s came up immediately. This makes a lot of sense as these are independent opinions coming from the most part professional educators. The highly selective schools want students that will “make a difference” – it could be leadership, inspiration, intellectual power, anything that makes a strong personal mark with the LoR writer. If you cannot truly stand out in the small pond of a HS environment, it says a lot about your prospect of making a positive difference in college. When the topic turned to essays, it was also interesting to hear that they are looking for the voice of a 17/18 year old telling a story consistent with all the other parts of their app, not a polished essay of a “47 year old lawyer”.