The BoT views BYU as a mechanism for training young adults who will take the intellectual knowledge and skills learned into the world in a way that reflects the mission of BYU and the church.
Essays have precious little to do with that. I spent 5 years on an adcom for one of the top graduate doctoral programs in my field. Personal statements and essays carried virtually no weight because they were the most easily embellished and falsified component of an application.