<p>the college admissions process is more and more about personality traits. the kids who have unique and original essays and extracurriculars get in over the pure bookworms with really good scores simply because “this kid wrote this amazing essay about all the cool things he’s gone off the beaten path and done on his own” is a hell of a lot easier to sell to a selection committee than “well, here’s just another perfect score with the typical checklist of ec’s and leadership position resume padding.”</p>