I have to agree with the others, there is nothing that stands out in your posted app…
not sure that Id put “wrote two op-ed letters to our newspaper” as an EC or award… because that looks like you are reaching for credibility… i.e. if you are so passionate about something- what steps have you actually done to become involved and fix the problem you are op-eding about?.. if that makes sense. But that’s just my opinion.
I think you are going to need a knock-your-socks-off essay for the elite schools here but since you like to write… Im betting you can do it!