Also creating an effective narrative is single handedly the best way to demonstrate interest in my book. With so many high quality applicants, colleges are looking for kids who are passionate, and fit a role in the college. When you get to top 25 schools essays, recs, and supporting ECs with an emphasis on how you developed yourself are huge.
For example, when I wrote my Northwestern app, my opening was having lunch with a professor at another school (not Northwestern) and talking about the meaning of university tenure. This narrative was an implied/unsaid appeal to their school, because I tried to convey that I valued professor interaction so much to the fact I was having dinner with one. Why is narrative important? Schools especially LACs try so hard to flaunt close faculty interactions. Hence a large school like Northwestern may face criticism that the experience is large and informal. So I while I discussed important things like my research experience and talked about what the school could offer me, I added the dimension of having Northwestern look forward to me being one of those kids they flaunt had discussions with professors and talked about philosophical things like the meaning of tenure, even if in reality it rarely happens. I tied in who I was and what the schools could offer, but an interesting story can do much more.
And THAT @bodangles represents how creating a narrative can set you apart when applying to selective schools. Take it or leave it. Nobody really says that, but for me it makes sense that you should set yourself apart in indirect ways.