It’s worth saying that colleges want kids to continue doing the ECs they were doing that made them appealing applicants, too. They want good athletic teams, debaters, a vibrant outdoor club, top music groups, kids who will do community service/outreach in the college community, all those things.
One can argue that these things are dumb but they aren’t going away anytime soon at most top schools and the “game” doesn’t end with acceptance at one.