Potential is a powerful attribute in college admissions. But it can mean different things for different kids.

Some students have already demonstrated their collegiate potential. Challenging courses, good grades, high test scores, impressive activities—they’re safe admission bets for most colleges.

But other students have still-unrealized potential. For whatever reason, they just haven’t found the right motivation, environment, or opportunity to show what they’re really capable of doing. With over 2,000 colleges in the country, there are almost certainly places that will admit them. But their chances get better—and their opportunities greater—if they can do just one thing and demonstrate it well on their college applications.

Care about something.

Maybe you work a part-time job and share the money with your family. Maybe you’re the baseball team’s most enthusiastic bench-warmer. Maybe you do volunteer work, or paint pictures, or play the drums in a punk band. All of those are examples of potential, and not just in the specific area where you’re demonstrating it.

Caring about your family enough to share your earnings, cheering on your baseball team from the bench, volunteering or painting or drumming—the capacity to care about something means that you have the capacity to care about other things, too. All you have to do is find them. And the right college might be able to help you do just that.

Yes, you’ll have more college options if you demonstrate your potential in the areas that admissions process routines measure, like grades and test scores and activities.

But if you aren’t excelling in those areas, what do you care about in your life? Where do you currently—or where could you potentially—excel?

The best way to show potential is to show your colleges, your teachers, and yourself what you do when you care about something.