The issue I've observed is that those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum are put at a disadvantage when these are given higher weighting. The teenag

The issue I've observed is that those on the lower end of the socioeconomic spectrum are put at a disadvantage when these are given higher weighting. The teenager with wealthy parents can participate in (expensive) extracurricular activities like team sports or take summers off to volunteer... not because they're virtuous, but because someone along the way told them it's a good way to pad their admissions applications. Meanwhile the brilliant high-school student without parents who can afford these things is less likely to participate in activities requiring investment in equipment or logistics of getting to/from events. Instead of being able to spend a summer volunteering on a hospital ship off the coast of Africa, they're working retail to save up spending money for the year or reduce their student loan burden.