<p>Good grades and test scores are pretty much prerequisites. Other than those, I think the really deciding factors come down to the impression you give the admissions officers through your essays and your letters of recommendation.</p>
<p>Your essay should not be edited to death. It shouldn’t read like your research paper you wrote last semester. Rather, it should include your own unique voice and your own unique story. If I dumped out every applicants papers on the floor, I should be able to pick yours up without a name on it and know it’s yours.</p>
<p>Be unique, be creative, and show, don’t tell, how you are the best candidate. Be someone Dean Rapelye can’t turn down. Most of all, be YOURSELF! By doing that, you’ll get into a college that you will belong in and have a wonderful time. Good luck!</p>