In the 1950s, Harvard used personality judgments like this to limit admission of Jews. nytimes.com/2018/10/25/us/…
They wanted to avoid "floppy ducklings" and “delicate, literary types of boys who don’t make the grade socially” in favor of “the hearty, extrovert kind of American youth which is so much admired by the American public.” 
No one used the word "effervescence", but they did try to avoid "Quiz Kids" and "greasy grinds" who “'worked hard, and they were wizards in the
classroom' but were not 'worth a lot to the school.'"
classroom' but were not 'worth a lot to the school.'"
The reason this changed? The Cold War, which gave the science faculty more influence over admissions.
The larger point? Harvard admissions has long been about producing an elite, not "meritocracy". And producing an elite means deciding what groups should be in it, and in what proportions. The rest, as they say, is commentary.
