Explore

Join several clubs and activities to discover what the student genuinely enjoys—not simply what looks best on a résumé.

It is also smart to try at least one activity related to a career or academic field they think they may be interested in.

Create Something

Narrow the list to one or two activities the student actually cares about.

Then identify a real community need the student could become passionate about helping with and create a simple philanthropic project that requires bringing other people together.

An outdoors student might organize a stream cleanup. A theater student could recruit classmates to perform at a nursing home. Another student might organize a gift drive or beautify a park.

Do It Better

Repeat the project and use everything learned from the first year to make it more effective, organized, and impactful.

Track measurable results: volunteers recruited, money raised, people served, bags of trash collected, gifts donated, or whatever numbers demonstrate the project’s growth.

Make It Last

Repeat it again—even though the college essays may already be finished.

If the project is genuinely meaningful and successful, the best outcome may be passing it on to younger students.

The student created something other people cared enough about to continue, improved it over several years, and then developed someone else to lead it.