subjective things....like appearance and personali

Personality plays a factor too, we're really not as shallow as your giving us credit for. If there were two girls with the same grades and scores, my house would choose whoever fit in best and presented herself well, not just who was prettiest.

Your connection with the girl is SO important. I have a 35ACT and a 4.0, seems like theta would ask me back but they cut me the first day. I'm so happy where I am but just want others to realize your resume won't really get you much of anywhere. The girls I was paired with and I had no connection and it ended up mattering more than my impressive resume.

For many of the top houses, a great GPA and stellar ACT will only get your foot in the door. The more important factors are things like a winning personality, being well-rounded and able to connect with people. Looks are a factor, too, but not the most important factor except for the shallower houses. It's sort of like being a runner. You have to qualify for the Boston Marathon, but that only gets you to the starting line. You still have to run the race. No one wants a house with just smart girls if they don't have something else to offer. And that's where the different houses get their personality or identity and their members look for PNMs they can relate to. ChiO's look for smart, involved girls. ADPi's look for smart, outgoing girls. PiPhi's go for smart, edgy girls. Kappas look for...never mind - they don't really have an identity. But you get the point. Yes, it's subjective. But that's not a negative because we aren't robots and not everything can be quantified. We all make subjective judgments in what to major, who our friends will be, where we go on vacation, etc. It's what makes life interesting.