“My take on it is that schools like Harvard and Yale do take quiet kids, but they still tend to be kids who have really made something of the opportunities that they’ve had.”
Yes. On the whole, I think the Harvard student body is more extroverted and noisy than the general population. That impression could be biased by the circles I moved in (performing arts, psychology majors, transfers, and nowadays, the alumni who join alumni clubs and show up to social events). It’s possible to distinguish yourself in Harvard’s eyes through more solitary activities like visual art, science research, running cross-country, etc., but it’s rarer. Every high school offers a student body presidency, newspaper editor-in-chiefdom, starting point guard position, starring theater roles, etc. for leader types to fill. The paths just seem more obvious.