Rethinking ‘excellence’ in post-pandemic university admissions

Well I think it's correct to say that 'excellence ', speaking in the UK context, has always been multifaceted. However, tutoring in the University as part of HE, and outside as a private tutor has taught me that there are always some students that see university as a place to reach the intellectual stars, so to speak, and those who are simply mercenary in their outlook. Excellence defined as the Enlightenment vision of never ending personal and collective development; flying above the clouds (eudaemonia), is for many, the notion of excellence, indeed the culture of HE. Isn't university a culture we join because of that? So if personal statements giving an idea of what prospective students think university is, as well as teachers' reports were used here, in the UK, in lieu of exam results then excellent!