Couldn’t agree more and I apologize if my comment seemed to imply that. What I was trying to get at was just what you posited - it shows what your child is interested in and how he pursued it.
I think the crux lies with the latter. Schools definitely love to see intrinsic motivation, self direction, etc. But depth (passion) matters and can be reflected in all sorts of ways.
Somewhat related aside - this is not to say that a kid who hasn’t found any passions is a non-starter for an AO so long as they can exhibit potential for same. We all know the schools want kids who will lean into the community and become a part of.