<p>Kids here have done a variety of things to mix it up....some cost $$ and some don't.....not sure schools want well rounded.....I think they like to see interest and initiative and passion....which the average bear may not have as a HS freshman or sophmore..... but now is as good a time as any to pause and reflect on one's list and see where it needs to be plumped up....</p>
<p>we have a big buddy program, where hs kids spend 1 afternoon or morning (b4 school) with a kid at the elementary or middle school....</p>
<p>we have kids who tutor other kids in HS before school ... </p>
<p>we have an Adventure Leadership course where kids work on their outdoor skills that culminates in spending 3 days in the woods in the winter as a group and that is always fun....</p>
<p>we have mock trial which is great for folks with interest in law/govt/debate</p>
<p>we have kids who provide musical entertainment at some of the nursing homes....in fact, 4 boys who did a very elaborate sword dance for one of the musicals went and performed the dance at several nursing homes... really great experience and wonderful gift to the elderly.....perfect example of extending something beyond its original intent..... organizing a special performance of a play at a nursing home.....or a special performance of all the great musical numbers from the year's productions..... </p>
<p>math clubs, chess clubs, teaching chess to elementary school kids...</p>
<p>one of the kids (nutmeg88?) noticed that it seems like many of the kids getting accepted had 15 hr wk jobs....my oldest taught skiing on weekends and school vacation wks....10-7 yr olds.....it was a lot of responsibility.... but he loved the pro pricing on skis.....the advantage is that it shows a kid can do the work necessary with outside commitments ... schools love to see the extra "bandwidth" .... that all A's do not require staying up late every nite... </p>
<p>we have environmental clean up days....</p>
<p>if there are any big public events coming up, get involved in something, we had an OpSail event here and my oldest volunteered and won a week on an instructional sailing vessel.....great experience....no $$ to go.....</p>
<p>the summer programs are a great way to light a fire under a kid without it coming from the nagging parent.....often they can learn from their peers who attend the session too... and it helps them break out of their lifelong social groups and lifelong expections of how to behave..... some kids just don't know how to deviate from their own "normal"</p>
<p>another good exercise is to sit down and map out the 4 yrs of highschool and log everything that your child has done by year....or even by semester... so they can see they are on track or that they need to kick it up a bit.... our guidance office came out with a special format that is provided/explained to kids as freshmen in their English class I think (since English is mandatory for all 4 yrs.) </p>
<p>a local kid here wrote for the school newspaper, then the local weekly, then filed reports for the nearest daily paper when he did a semester in NYC as a junior and a semester in Africa as a HS senior..... their family goes incredible places on very few $$$$....they really work their connections and barter a lot of things to get what they want.... </p>
<p>the "leadership" stuff is the hardest to get your arms around... if a kid has an advisor or a teacher or two they think they want to have do their recommendation letters, it might help to make an appt to talk to those folks and brainstorm on what they could do that needs doing..... that will kill two birds with one "storm" because now the teacher has something concrete to interact with your kid on...... blah blah blah...sorry if I have run on... and please know that the folks that mention "fun" are also on target... MIT wanted to know what kids did for fun a few years ago..... Columbia's application wanted to know what kids read on a regular basis and what events they attended.... </p>
<p>download a few applications to get a sense of what they look for.....not just the common app if you can identify others with unique characteristics..... another great way to have the requirements come from outside your home...</p>