<p>Well, call me cynical, but I suspect it helps an applicant who is “holistic” in the following ways:</p>
<p>1) offspring of alumni well known for donations to campus
2) offspring of a celebrity/royalty/billionaires
3) recruited athlete/ teen movie actress
4) Underrepresented group that the campus is seeking</p>
<p>No doubt it varies by college, but I do think “charming” and “quirky” and “original” fall a bit further down the list.</p>