The notion that there is a magic list of activities that inherently “look good” to colleges, and that participating in them will somehow work as a guaranteed admissions advantage, is a hoax. I’ve seen all kinds of students–from class presidents to bug collectors, newspaper editors to bongo-players, quarterbacks to fast food workers–have very successful college admissions outcomes.
As usual, the University of Virginia’s blog comes through with spot-on advice, including the most recent entry about choosing activities. If you’re wondering what colleges actually look for, give their latest post a read.