@Knittergirrl Good post. I don’t think they help you get into any specific college, per se, but they absolutely bolster an otherwise strong common app. From admissions pov, who’s more likely to hit the ground running and have a successful freshman year at an out-of-state college?
student a: Good stats, from Ohio, worked part-time at landscaping company for two summers.
student b: Good stats, from Ohio, summer at Harvard, summer at Andover.