Encourage your student to find something he or she likes doing outside of class, and dive into it. Colleges want to see that students are following and actively pursuing their passions. Encourage your student to find a club, sport, extracurricular activity, volunteer opportunity, or job that will help show colleges that he or she has the ability to make a commitment to something and follow through with it.
Colleges are not necessarily looking for students who do everything. They are looking for students who make a commitment to an interest or passion outside of academics. Help your student think about depth rather than breadth.
Work experience can help your student identify career interests and goals, gain skills, and apply classroom knowledge to the real world. Encourage your student to look for a job in a field that interests them.
Encourage your student to shadow someone in the workforce in a field of interest. Contact the REAP counselor for more information on how to facilitate job-shadowing.
Volunteer work such as tutoring, mentoring or community service is a good way for your student to gain experience and show colleges that he or she care about the community.