As a senior, applying to college is always in the back of my mind. I imagine college admissions counselors looking over my application and frowning. Adults constantly ask me what could possibly be stressing me out with my grades and test scores and extracurricular involvement. But what our parents and grandparents don’t realize is getting into college is nothing like it used to be.

When my mom graduated high school in the 1970’s, all they needed to get into most colleges were A’s and B’s. Now, however, if you have a 4.0 and a 30 on your ACT so do thousands of other prospective seniors across the globe applying to the same colleges as you. It feels like I need to have a billion-dollar idea or find the cure to cancer just to set myself apart from the competition.

This may sound like I’m whining about the struggles of college admission, but I’m really trying to reach out to all the freshmen and sophomores who are only vaguely thinking about where they might apply to college. So here’s some quick senior knowledge I’d like to share with you.

Unless you’re the next Stephen Hawking, you’re going to need more than just grades and a great test score to get into selective colleges. Good grades are important, but what’s just as important is your involvement in activities outside of academics.

My advice is this: pick two or three clubs, sports or activities at KHS you’re passionate about to really devote your time to. If you pick too many, you won’t be able to commit enough time to all of them. If you pick only one, you better make it count. Colleges look for leadership and leadership comes from committing to a program or a club where you can work your way up to being a leader by getting involved early

Also volunteer. If you can, try to give a few hours every month of your time to some charitable organization, or go help out your community on the weekends. When you’re old and have only a couple months to send in your college application, you will wish you had gone to that early morning blood drive. Plus you might actually help people in need which is always good for the soul.

Above all, remember to follow your passions in high school. These four years are all about finding what you love, whether that’s in regard to a future career or just a skill you want to craft. Participating in a club you hate just to build up your college application is not what I’m advising. You won’t impress colleges if you don’t care about what you’re involved in. So have fun, find what you love and don’t stress about college too much because no matter what, you will end up where you’re meant to be.