I think if you goal is to get into Harvard, or other top Ivy's his advice is fairly good. Except for the fact that glosses over the need for a top GPA. And his advice isn't far off what DS's school is trying to tell parents/teachers. Find something you love and excel in it is a better strategy than spreading yourself thin. I particularly like his examples of what constitutes a spike.
The only downside to this is I hate that kids seem pushed to choose their passions at such a young age. I think we should be encouraging kids in H.S. to try lots of different things, to help them figure out WHERE their passion is. In addition sports, marching band and other time consuming activities are often what helps keep a teen happy & excited about High School and should be judged not just on if they are helpful for the college application processes.
The question of if striving for a top Ivy League school is worth the energy is a different question than if this young man's advice is for getting into a Ivy is helpful.
