So it may not be writing skills to demonstrate per other peoples advice but schools are looking for students who are curious, ask good questions, etc if the letter shows that sometimes it’s better than saying I am curious etc. my Dd had an Interview recently at an elite school. She was sharing some of the stuff she was researching because they had similar interests and it’s just naturally her personality. She’s naturally a very curious and insightful person- he wrote a very nice email to her saying she was at an intellectual level far behind most typical high schoolers and that out of all people he’s interviewed for many many years, she was the person he was most impressed with ever meeting during interviews. He told her you are a difference maker and will do big things. Another example- my DD visited her friend at another top 10 school and the friend introduced her to the dept person who gave my Dd a private tour of the dept since my Dd is interested in the major. After an hour of the tour, the dept person told my DD, she learned so much in that hour. It’s a year since that tour, unsolicited, the dept person wrote to my Dd this month asking her how college apps are going.
We don’t know what schools are looking for but sometimes it’s those intangibles and real life cases that they learn more about your personality, thought processes, and who you are.