Tailoring the CV is never easy, do you try and sell relevant experience or do you base it more around potential? It's similar with the essay question, do you base your answer around things you have done or more hypothetical stuff? I went with solid experience on both occasions and didn't make it through.
Yesterday there was a press release from another airline about their intake, it was all about diversity and the airline seemed to take pride in saying that many of the cadets hadn't been in a light aircraft cockpit till a flight assessment which was part of the recruitment process. I'm not saying BA are necessarily the same but that seems to be where the industry is heading.