So, in your freshman year (grade 9), try a lot of different activities. Sports, clubs, student government, volunteer work, what have you. Continue your exploration in sophomore year, but drop any activities that you didn’t like, and pick up a couple of new ones (hopefully, you’ll have some from 9th grade that you continue over.) In your junior year, start to focus more on the specific activities that you enjoy the best. Not necessarily the ones you’re great at, but the ones you like the most, and where you can start to devote some real time and effort. Continue that process for your senior year.

Don’t skip the volunteer work, but try to focus that by the end of your high school years as well. So freshman, try a few things. By senior, do one or two that really interest you, and which require some effort and time.

In addition, if you can, try to do some paid work, even if that’s only in the summer. Fewer and fewer kids are applying to the top schools with any sort of paid work in their past, and it can help to set you apart from the crowd a bit.

Extra curricular activities can include things you do with your school, but it also includes things you do outside of school – maybe with your church, or a club, or in a sport. All of that counts.