> I have heard from interns that colleges want to see engagement for social justice or diversity causes during the application process. It's been 15 years sinc

> I have heard from interns that colleges want to see engagement for social justice or diversity causes during the application process. It's been 15 years since I did the college admissions dance, but I do remember that most of the superstitions about the application process don't apply if you score above a 33 on the ACT (perhaps you'd need a perfect score to have the velvet rope lifted if you're applying for MIT). All the rules of thumb about taking at least three years of a foreign language and balancing between 2–4 extra-curricular activities are for the students who won't be immediately offered merit scholarships.