I think that it is very clear that CostCo girl A) is a great kid, and B) got into these colleges on the basis of her real qualifications, aided by her URM status. Her essay does the job of revealing her ebullient personality and intellectual curiosity in a cute and clever --and yes, over-written–way. It would be icing on the cake, perhaps a tip factor if she needed one. I think what drives more knowledgeable people here crazy is the assertion that this essay got her in to college.
If you choose to make a public spectacle of something that could well remain private in this age of digital and social media, you are likely to get mixed reactions at best. Which is why people should not seek publicity and maintain some privacy and dignity, IMHO.
On the word count issue–not that it matters in the least to the larger issue–when S was applying to college the Common App and the online apps of some colleges would allow you to enter extra words initially, but it would literally cut you off in mid-sentence before actually sending the app. So counting and recounting and carefully editing was crucial.