[Edit: The post below gives the impression that our conversations with admissions officers are our only reasons for believing the claims. We’ve also consulted with other sources such as How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out) which corroborate the admissions officers’ remarks]
http://lesswrong.com/lw/jys/what_colleges_look_for_in_extracurricular/aqp9
See also