<p>This is an excellent video for anyone who thinks that small blemishes on his or her academic record (i.e., 3.9 v 4.0 or 2290 v 2300) will keep him or her out of a highly selective school. Once you’re competitive academically (top 10% of class, above 700 on every SAT section, above 30 on the ACT), the “intangibles” (as evidenced by teacher recs, activities, and essays in particular) become deciding factors, and you should spend your time focusing on these instead of fretting too much over academics. </p>
<p>[Stanford–What</a> factors affect decision beyond academic measures - YouTube](<a href=“http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYhTylqC9o]Stanford--What”>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UYhTylqC9o)</p>