What a college wants—and won’t admit a student without—is usually easy to find out on the “admissions” section of a school's website. What’s the recommended course preparation? Which standardized tests are required? When is the deadline for the application to be submitted? Colleges come right out and tell you.
But Which activities should you do? What would make a good story for your college essay? Is it better to get a part time job over the summer or take college classes? You won’t find answers to those questions. You might find advice on how to make decisions about these things. But you won’t find definitive answers because there aren’t any. Colleges are trying to put together an interesting class of students with varied experiences, all of whom can learn from each other. And you don’t get that by admitting an entire freshman class of people who’ve all had the same experiences.
If you’re confused by college admissions, it might be because:
1. You haven’t visited websites to learn what your colleges require, or
2. Once you get there, you’re looking for the wrong answers.