Admissions officers focus on three important factors in students’ applications:
1. A genuine feel for the applicant's personality. This emerges in essays, recommendations, interviews, and activities which admissions officers put together like a puzzle. You can showcase who you are in your essays and in the activities you list in order of those most important to you.
2. A contribution to the school. What will the applicant add to the academic or social profile of their class? High grades and testing? Stardom in music? Campus leadership? Excellence in athletics? Geographic diversity? Or is the student just a "good kid" who will be loved?
3. A big fish in the pond - ANY pond. This is all about context – is the applicant maximizing their environment and their talents? Admissions officers know who has resources and who does not, and applicants are evaluated in the context of their high school and their environment.