I agree with all that.
I’d never encourage my children to go in a directly solely because it looks good for college, if it has no interest to them.
But often, doing things for yourself will simultaneously help you in college applications. Maximizing your rigor in a manner that meets your interests and capabilities helps you grow and learn, AND helps with college applications.
Seeking extracurriculars that are focused and where you can make a difference help you in your personal development, far more than just joining a bunch of random clubs.
So I agree totally with mwolf – Do things for yourself, not solely for college applications. But in doing things for yourself, including pushing yourself within your own abilities and interests, will help you later on in your college applications.