I am sorry if this opinion/view/question offends anyone, but doesn’t pretending/“molding” yourself to a person the college wants work? For example Wharton would reject people who don’t have affinity to make money, Berkeley would reject “researchers” (i feel like UCs like engineers) and Yale would reject, say, people who are not involved in the community (provided you are not an olympiad winner… if you are a mathlete/crazy good olympiad competition winner, by all means, be yourself). At the end of the day being yourself only enables colleges to view if you are the correct fit. So why not mold yourself into seeming like that kind of person. Does it not work?