In their efforts to stand out, a lot of college applicants do the opposite–they hide.
If you spend more hours studying for the SAT than you do playing the drums in the marching band, working at a part-time job, or teaching kids at the daycare center how to paint, you're hiding.
Standing out in college admissions means doing something important to you, something that makes an impact. The benchwarmer who loves being on the hockey team and practices like he's about to get the call at any moment, he's standing out.
The student in AP English who isn't afraid to put her hand up to make a comment or ask a question, she's standing out.
The kid who works at Baskin Robbins and gets promoted to be a shift manager, or who coaches Little League baseball, or who fixes all her friends' computers when they crash, those kids are standing out.
There's no one magic formula that will guarantee admission results. But hiding doesn't work. So don't play it safe by trying to guess what colleges want. You'll end up doing the same thing all the hiders are doing. Instead, work hard. Commit yourself to things that are important to you. Take an active interest in your education and in your college future.
Hiding might feel safe. But it's a lot more productive, fun and effective to stand out.