I agree that you have to look at the application as a whole, but the essay needs to be part of a consistent narrative. I think if go about the application trying to check boxes off of qualities you think the school wants, you run a risk of submitting a seemingly contrived and disjointed application. I agree with @marvin100 in #26, top schools are full of students of various personality types. And certainly some schools are better fits for certain students based on academic resources and focus, size of institution, geographic location, social scene, etc… But I think it is a mistake to pretend to be someone you are not or even highlight something of marginal interest or accomplishment because you think that is what the school wants. Highlight your strengths, what makes you, you. If you are the captain of a sports team and/or the president of the student body/class, sure it is listed in the activities section of your application, but if that is an important part of who you are, you should highlight why it is important to you and what you have done to earn and further this responsibility (“show, not tell”). To this end, if you have a trusted friend, mentor, relative, it’s not a bad idea for them to review the entire app, and give you feedback on whether the app is a true representation of who you are (of course in a positive way).