I think “worldly” is a better adjective than “cynical.”
I would also argue that students sometimes try to present themselves as different than they are, not always to their advantage.
Mary is an oboeist and a true prodigy. At 12 she “has the technique of a 30 year old”. She has a pile of awards at the local and state level and maybe a national one.
Sue is an oboeist and good at it, but not great. She loves it and plays it at every opportunity - her school’s orchestra, its concert band, its marching band (ever march with an oboe? It’s real doggone hard), its pep band (even though nobody can hear her) and at various external events. She knows she won’t ever become a professional, but she wants a college where she can play while she majors in something other than music.
I would hold that Sue does not do herself any favors by presenting herself as Mary-lite. There’s a lot of positive in her story, and she should let it shine through.