“Holistic” admissions truly means that someone with an impressive leadership history, or sports talent, or music talent, etc., could be chosen for those qualities, as long as the school sees evidence that they are strong enough academically not to fail out of the college if admitted. It is probably true that someone who goes on to become the best in their field, maybe even famous throughout the world, will reflect more favorably on their alma mater than someone who can score well on tests but does not have the talent or drive to make a major impact on the world. Why wouldn’t top colleges want to choose people who are truly extraordinary in other areas as well as academic superstars? The best schools can afford to admit some students with a variety of strengths without lowering the school’s overall averages for GPA and test scores.