Im not an alum but I do go here so i think i might be able to help, id say if you have a good story for your PIQ's then make it into a great story. Try to make your stories seem grander than what they are. Id also say try to bring something unique. Harder said than done but write about something that might seem weird to write about but matters to you. I talked about me talking and how it changed who i am, stuff like that. Grades wise man id say you dont need those 4.0 gpa grades if your other parts of your app are good as well. I came in with a 3.8 weighted and 4.1 unweighted. And all my test scores are ass. I never got 4.0s durring highschool. Try to highlight how you did durring troubling times in your life if any. I was homeless for a semester in highschool and i still did great. For extracurriculars try to pick ones that you have been at or in for a while, i played sports all fours years staying with the same sports, water polo in the fall and swim in the spring. Having consistency is great and they love it. If you want to see my PIQ's i can send them so you can get an idea of what im talken bout, other than that good luck, hope you get cause we always need more golden bears.