<p>Read a book called the Price of Admission. As Weenie so aptly put it, "Oh my gosh - believe me! They know!"</p>
<p>As for intellectual curiousity - I do believe that some colleges really are looking for signs of it, but I also think that is one of the most difficult "characteristics" to convey in an application...especially if you're a kid with a 3.5 GPA competing against kids with straight A's. :)</p>