@marlowe1 - haven’t seen any of the studies you are seeking - they would be an interesting addition to this conversation. While psychologists tend to link introversion to studiousness and studiousness to higher academic achievement, some also point out that there’s a difference between knowing all the answers for the test and asking the really “out of the box” questions. I’d guess that both UChicago and Harvard look for the latter when selecting for intellectual brilliance. Harvard, of course, also selects for those showing “brilliance” in other ways (best rugby player, music composer, political activist, break dancer, etc.) and seems to indulge those students to the point of not really caring whether they show up in class or not. I strongly prefer UChicago’s philosophy; however, I do think that if H selected the best break dancer using some threshold of academic excellence then educated the hell out of that individual, it would go a longer way toward fulfilling it’s responsibility to provide “what college education is all about” than it currently does. College should be intellectually challenging, more than anything else, regardless of your particular talent.
David Brooks wrote a great piece many years ago about the Organization Kid - the young person who sacrifices alone time and contemplation for more external accomplishments (music lessons, sports, leadership clubs, etc. and so forth). Not sure all that is directed toward resume-padding but it has definitely become a problem over time, and it’s possible that colleges and universities are noticing, as I’ve heard at least one Admissions director advise the audience to quit anything they were doing just for the sake of the resume. Seems that adcoms would rather see fewer, more meaningful activities than a flurry of involvement that doesn’t go very deep. At least that’s what they are presenting to their young hopefuls - and I actually believe them on this one. I also believe that it’s quite possible to engage in intellectually enriching activities - even entering a nationally competitive process for some of them - and not only satisfy an intellectual craving or two but actually receive a ton of insight into what it is you want to do long-term. And have a ton of fun. In addition, I tend to notice how many truly bright kids play an instrument exceptionally well and participate at the elite level of their local youth symphony or jazz ensemble (these usually have a very competitive audition process). So perhaps EC’s are a good thing but the focus should be on “quality” instead of “quantity”.