Know how many are lined up who did take it seriously, who don’t need to “explain?” Just having a couple of aces in the hole isn’t it. Anyone applying to a tippy top should know the competition is fierce. And really, should be savvy enough to have researched what the school looks for.
I have no idea what “interesting” grades are. But they represent your effort. I don’t think you gain with an elite by having some letter explain you or teachers didn’t think ongoing attention to classwork mattered as much as standardized tests. How can that be, when they didn’t give you A’s. They expected something for an A.