<p>I would disregard EC’s entirely/only count the ones that can be confirmed (For example letter of rec from a coach or something) since 99% of them are fiction/exaggerated anyways.</p>
<p>In this case Applicant 2 seems more desirable because of the perfect scores/GPA. It would come down to the essay, and if these are still equal, then the interview. Who knows Applicant 2 might be an ugly freak and Applicant 1 can be a cool and laid back social butterfly! </p>