For elite colleges (Ivies, MIT, so on and so forth), is it better to have an excellent GPA and test scores but good (but not excellent) extracirriculars, or vice versa?
Of course, I understand that there’s no easy answer to this because within holistic applications, things aren’t as black and white as they may appear to be and I’m sure they take into consideration one area of your academics while looking at another.
Many applicants with stellar stats are turned down by top schools, so it is safe to assume that stats are a necessary condition.
Grades and test scores trump anything else almost every time. I am not including athletes and URMs, etc… I mean the student who is not academically qualified to be at one of those schools. You would have to be the rare applicant with an extremely compelling story or truly unique hook to overcome low grades and test scores. Of course, there will be a development case here and there too. If someone is donating many millions, their kid is getting in.
I think the first question that needs to be answered (by you) is who are you? What do you enjoy, what have you done, what type of person are you. Instead of looking at yourself as a package that a college will either like or not like, look at yourself for who you are and find a place you fit. Obviously if you don’t have the objective stats that a university deems necessary to be successful in their environment then it isn’t the right school for you. Subjective matters are harder pin down. What passions and interests MIT etc. find compelling are not known and even if they were would you rather mold yourself into that person or attend a school that school that fits who you are? I’m not saying don’t apply. You may find they think you would be perfect for MIT, but worrying about things which you have no control over is fruitless. Knowing what you’d like in a school an finding those that meet your needs and interests is something you have control over.
Think of the grades and stats as the first hurdle to clear. If you don’t have those, game over. If you do, the schools will choose their classes based on ECs, legacy, diversity objectives, etc.
If your question is “should I spend the summer trying to convert my 780 to an 800 or doing my EC?”, the answer is the latter.
Good advice above. High GPA in the most rigorous course load available at your school is the most important part of your application. After some testing threshold, which is lower than some kids want to believe, ECs matter more and show what reserve you have to achieve those high grades and show you have something to offer the community. Don’t be the kid whose EC is standardized test taking. I know you of a kid who self studied half (and did well) on 20 AP exams thinking that was his hook. Although his classmates were shocked, he did not get admitted to the most selective tier of colleges.
Holistic admissions does not mean that academics are not of paramount importance. Holistic admissions just means that admission officer don’t stack up applicants by GPA/course rigor/standardized tests and accept applicants from the top down in consecutive order. Baring a major hook, (ex. recruited athlete) an applicant has to make the academic cut before ECs become an important factor. Strong ECs do not make up for below standard academics-- after all colleges want to accept students who can do well and graduate from the institution.
But the truth is that if you are looking towards those very top tier colleges with admission rates under 10% then it is expected that you will have both outstanding academics and great extracurricular involvement.