I think some of it might come down to the story that such a kid would craft with their applications - including an essay and teacher LOR that set them apart.
I think this is what worked for Kiddo #1. She really was fairly well-rounded (with dance instead of a school sport) and very ambitious. She didn’t decide what she wanted to major in until October of her senior year and then worked backwards on her applications to fit her ECs and her essay to showcase who she was in relation to that intended future. She ended up not even listing all her ECs. (For example, leaving off engineering camp at a university and other activities from Freshman/Sophomore year related to exploring a possible future as an engineer.)