Northwestern students all place a high value on getting involved in meaningful extracurriculars. There are tons of organizations to get involved in, whether they're athletic, pre-professional, cultural, academic, philanthropic, creative, Greek, or something else entirely. I am currently leading a team of 5 peers on a project through Students Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations. I am also on the exec board for Swim Club and a member of Greek life. Students Consulting for Non-Profit Organizations (SCNO) has been a really great way for me to test the waters of consulting as a profession, while also helping the community. Each quarter, teams are...

Get a job! Colleges and future employers like to see that you have some drive. In high school, I don't think it has to be something very career-oriented, just something to keep you busy. It would help if there's a way you can frame it to talk about what you learned from your experience, though. For example, I taught swim lessons and worked at a farmers' market. The swim lessons taught me how to be incredibly patient and communicate something that comes very naturally to me (swimming) to a child who has no clue what they're doing. My farmers' market...