All high school students should enjoy participating in extracurricular activities that interest them. The depth of a student's involvement in an activity and sometimes the uniqueness of an activity can either underwhelm or impress college admissions officers.

Students who list dozens of clubs on their resume but have never had a leadership position are just "serial joiners."

The common perception is that they are padding their applications with fluff. While they might be attending meetings, they can't possibly be a major contributor to so many organizations at once. Colleges want depth rather than breadth and prefer students with two or three solid commitments that made an impact.

General college admissions wisdom suggests students should test the waters in their freshman and sophomore years, experiment to see what activities hold the most interest for them and by junior year settle in on meaningful ones.

Junior year is also a great time to begin taking on leadership roles. Don't forget college applications will be completed in the fall of the senior year so that is not advised.

Parents often ask me, "What should my son/daughter do? What are the best activities?" There are no "best activities." Students need to be self-motivated. Admissions officers can spot artificial in a glance.

Don't suggest your children do something because you or they think it will look good on their college application. Talk to them about their interests. Ask them how they think they can make a difference. Then try to find an organization, club or activity that does that or encourage them to create their own. Students can create their own organizations or businesses with Web sites and demonstrate their marketing skills.

Summer Plans

Surprisingly, January and February are great times for high school juniors to think about their summer options. Summer is the single best opportunity for students to set themselves apart from their fellow applicants.

Students don't need to travel the world or build a school in Uganda. Working full-time or focusing on community service within your own city is highly valued. Once again, students should focus their energies where they're passionate.

The summer is a great time to take action on those entrepreneurial pipe dreams; it could be creating music, landscaping or designing a summer camp for youngsters. Any of these adventures will provide the opportunity to showcase their skills and often offer material for college essays.

Lee Bierer is an independent college adviser based in Charlotte, N.C. For more information, visit www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com.