You can gain valuable skills and experience through volunteer work, such as by tutoring elementary school kids or spending time at a local hospital. Here's a true story. A top student with 750+ on more than five of her SAT IIs from a competitive prep school was turned down by Penn on the basis of her lack of interest in others.

It's not that community service is the major criterion, but the lack of it can imply such self-interest that the college simply doesn't want such a self-centered person in their community, even if the centeredness is on math and chemistry! Besides, volunteer work will make you feel good about yourself knowing that you've made a positive difference in this crazy world.

2. Work Experiences

Work experience -- paid or volunteer, year-round or summer -- shows admissions officers that you're trying to identify career interests and goals, gain work experience, and apply classroom learning to the real world. It's also a great way to earn money for college, of course. Consider arranging for an internship or to shadow someone at his or her job.

If you're looking for work, a great place to find it is online at Flipdog. You can type out or upload your resume onto their database for free. There are thousands of employers in virtually every industry across North America that search through Flipdog's resume database. When an employer is interested in you, they will send you an email with details regarding their open position.  Click Here for FlipDog Jobs

Last summer, one of my students was able to find work via Flipdog at a Wall Street law firm. Now mind you her work was limited to photocopying and getting coffee, but an internship at a prestigious law firm sure looks good on a college application. There is no guarantee you'll find a similar type job through Flipdog, but it doesn't hurt to post your resume -- after all, it's free! If you need help writing a resume, there are useful tips at WetFeet.

3. Academic Competitions and Contests

You do enough reading and writing in school, so why do it again outside of school? Well, participation in academic competitions and contests is a nice way to convey your interest in intellectual pursuits. College work is challenging and admissions officers want to be sure that the students they admit actually enjoy being intellectually stimulated.

There are numerous competitions and contests in poetry, writing, sciences, etc. taking place everywhere. Note that most college applications have sections where you are asked to outline any achievements, awards, or distinctions you've earned. If you've participated in any such competitions and actually won, then you would have something to put down.

4. College Courses

Any college-level courses you've taken, either by correspondence or at a local community college can impress admissions officers for the same reasons as participating in academic competitions. Moreover, it's a good way to prove your ability to handle college-level work. (If you've taken a lot of AP's and IB courses, then that's proof enough).

If you've got time you might want to consider iStudySmart, a provider of online and distance learning courses for the College Level Examination Program (CLEP). You can take college courses via the Internet or mail in fields like Economics and Psychology for $100/course. After you've completed your course and passed the CLEP exam, you're eligible for college credit. Over 2,900 colleges recognize the CLEP. A full list is available at the College Board here.

5. Any School Activities

Remember that colleges are seeking students who will contribute to their campus life. There is no better way to evaluate students in this regard than to look at contributions they have made in their own high school communities. You should participate in about 2 or 3 activities and dedicate a lot of time to each of them. The activities can be anything; even participation on the Chess Team. Just make sure you communicate to the admissions officer why you are passionate about it and why you want to continue pursuing it in college. Application essays and the interview are excellent mediums for this.

According to Wilson Joseph's old college application, he was the founder, president and sole member of Oakwood High's Disco Club. If you have questions for him you can send them to wilson@liqwidmindz.com.

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