Well I am not going to disagree with you but it doesn’t apply to everyone. Not sure if it’s a game but yes Michigan wants to know you want to be here. I know @sushiritto daughter didn’t do this but my son and multiple people I have helped and got accepted EA all… Wrote a LOI, Letter of Interest. This is not a loci after the fact . This is done before December, maybe after they visited your school or had a zoom presentation. Also asking a question prior to January like… “can you recommend any students I might be able to talk with about X major”. All of them interviewed with a professor or set up a meeting and used it in their essay… "While researching the university I spoke with Professor X and learned Y. These students did it at just about every school they were really interested in. So now that’s 2 soft touches. If they were not excepted their Loci would of been their 3rd touch to the AO not their first one. See the difference? Then add in legacy. All but my son have no legacy. All OOS and all from Illinois and top 5 schools in our state. Most with 33/34 Act or Sat equivalent. 3.8-4.0 Unweighted. Normal APs. All visited the school junior year.
All leadership to a point and all essays were unique, personal and interesting. To me the essay “Can” count if the above is applied.
Northwestern, Wash U and many others are no different. If you were the school weren’t you want the kid that showed interest?