Colleges want students who have the initiative to make things happen. What does that look like? The surfer who calls the local community college to find out if they’d like someone to teach a surfing class has initiative. The student who walks into the public library and asks if she can get involved in the literacy program, the athlete who calls the sports camp and asks if there’s a summer job available, and the mathematician who emails a college professor and ends up doing summer research—they all have initiative. So look for opportunities. Find ways to make an impact. And never let your parents organize these involvements for you.