It's very much "figure out what AOs want and fake it" rather than "show ambition and ability to get shit done", and kids are acutely aware of the fakeness of it

It's very much "figure out what AOs want and fake it" rather than "show ambition and ability to get shit done", and kids are acutely aware of the fakeness of it all. Like, it's a meme among the "applying to Ivies" crowd just how many nonprofits high schoolers start that are total shams, designed for the sole purpose of being able to say they "founded a nonprofit dedicated to giving ukulele lessons for historically underserved neighborhoods" on their application without technically lying. It is an important lesson that the biggest controllable factor in success is figuring out how to play the game, rather than actual passion in doing something.