I don’t know what the right advice is, but I’m so disheartened by this discussion. IMO: Your girl should be herself. FULLY herself. Don’t put a lid on it (her). If she’s smart enough to be provocative in an enticing way, it will not hurt her admission chances to any school where they “get” her. Apply broadly, to lots of schools. Would she want to go to a school that does NOT “get” her? My D’s essay told one highly selective school how ugly its campus was compared to another school she had recently seen. And she got in with tons of aid. I think Adcoms are more than anything tired of canned “I think this is what you want to hear” lazy essays.