OP “Most rigorous schedule vs. follow your passion - What do colleges really want?”
The way you worded the question, they want you to follow your passion. Your question is asking about colleges in general, not top colleges. Also, what they really want you to do may be entirely different from what they want to see before they will admit you.
In contrast, If you had asked “What do top colleges want to see before they are going to admit you?” that is a different question entirely.