This is a bit of a trick question , because it really depends on the college and the student . Some colleges don ' t even ask for essays others automatically admit students with a certain level of grades . Still others are so selective that you really need all of these to be accepted . It also varies by student . For example , grades are always going to be the # 1 factor . But , stellar recs , ECs , and essays can outweigh a lessthanstellar GPA . With that disclaimer , here is how I would rank them Grades ECAs SATACT Essays Letters of Rec Interview <| sep |> Fortunately it is not . Waflles has more torrents than these trackers will have in the next year may even be 2 years . That will be plenty enough time for me to decide if I want to move elsewhere .