from 7:53 to 7:58 she says “A neat thing to do would be to go do something in Germany, focused on the environment”. She isn’t saying anything negative, she’s attempting to give insight into (as you note) creating a theme.
The suggestion itself borders on insane, because it assumes privilege and wealth (It would be neat if I could go to Germany … but I’m still saving for Stanford). Her background at the time of this film was college consulting, so she’s obviously selling her “insights” to some wealthy folks looking for an edge.
We aren’t going to agree on this…but I don’t see her as being negative. She’s trying to take positive items and make them memorable so that the AO has an easier time giving you labels in later talks with AO’s. I have heard countless AO’s talk about “that” story, and I still remember a few (a Broccolli story, my mother’s cooking… walking in the CO mountains… all stories they remembered years later and repeated in sessions I attended…and now I remember them).
There are better ways into Stanford anyway…a$k the $ailing coach! 