<p>Yes, but Stanford’s CDS also lists things like “rigor of secondary school record,” “class rank,” and “standardized test scores” as Very Important. Take a look at the Class of 2017 Applicant Profile:</p>
<p>[Applicant</a> Profile : Stanford University](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/profile.html]Applicant”>http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/profile.html)</p>
<p>Clearly, a vast majority of students in Stanford’s Class of 2017 were ranked in the top 10% of their high school classes, scored above 700 on each SAT section, and scored above 30 on the ACT. These stats indicate that the Stanford Admission Office certainly considers academic excellence the most important criterion. </p>
<p>I would say that Stanford–like other top schools–takes ECs, essays, and recommendations into account when they make their actual decisions. In other words, once you make the academic “cut” (which about 80% of applicants do), their evaluation will focus more on what you can contribute to their campus/the world as a whole, as evidenced by your ECs, essays, and recommendations. </p>
<p>So, to answer your question, no.</p>