Yeah, I don't think such a system would be at all ideal. For one thing, I think kids' essays actually are quite useful in getting a sense of what they care abou

Yeah, I don't think such a system would be at all ideal. For one thing, I think kids' essays actually are quite useful in getting a sense of what they care about (not clear what "psychological testing" could replace that), and some kids are going to mention their gender / race / socioeconomic background.