I recently toured The University of Oklahoma, one of my top college choices for next fall. In the introductory presentation, an admissions administrator discussed the institution’s holistic approach to reviewing applications.

I couldn’t help but notice the emphasis on “academic rigor” — SAT scores, GPA, class rank, and whether more than half of an applicant’s classes were in advanced placement. Conversely, extracurriculars, essays, and recommendation letters appeared much less important to an application.