Imagine you owned a software company and you were hiring a programmer. You narrowed down over 300 qualified applicants to two that you want to interview.
Applicant #1 gets genuinely excited when he talks about some of the software he's written. It's obvious he loves computers and programming. Applicant #2 rattles off a list of programming languages he knows, and shows no emotion when he does.
When you ask them to describe one of their biggest weaknesses, applicant #1 shakes his head, smiles, and admits that he really needs to work on being more organized. Applicant #2 tells you that sometimes, he can be too focused on his job (which is the old "name a strength but call it a weakness" trick).
You ask them why they want to work for your company. Applicant #1 gives a heartfelt answer about what he's looking for in a career and why he thinks he's found that opportunity at your company. It's clear he's done more than just read your website; he's really thought about what he wants his work day to be like.
Applicant #2 tells you that your company has a great reputation and a beautiful building, and that the job would look good on his resume.
Who would you hire? The applicant who loves the work and is honest, who acknowledges his faults but is proud of his strengths, who genuinely loves programming and has given serious consideration to the personal, professional and cultural fit he thinks he can find at your office? Or would you hire the applicant who rattled off a list of accomplishments, who wasn't honest and open enough to admit a weaknesses, who didn't seem to feel a real connection with your company and just seemed to be going through the job-seeking motions?
Just about everyone would hire applicant #1, assuming both are equally qualified.
If you want to get into college, approach the admissions process like applicant #1 approaches the job search.