Students begin to prepare for college applications long before becoming juniors and seniors. In fact, students, or perhaps more accurately their parents, have been thinking about the process for years.

When parents first approach us, the question is almost always the same: what can my child do to give them their best chance at going to the school of their dreams? The answer: explore.

There is a lot of debate in the college admissions world as to whether a well-rounded resume that shows a student as an athlete, a musician, an artist and philanthropist is better than a resume with fewer categories, but that dives deeper into the student’s area of choice, or vice-versa. Having sat behind a number of closed-door meetings, staring at actual applications, I haven’t seen proof that one resume style necessarily beats the other. What wins every time, however, is authenticity and passion. How does a student find this? By exploring.

There is so much research on the importance of exploration on child development during the early years. Quite often, in the race to college, we forget about the importance of exploration in youth. Recent news has once again brought this to the forefront; many of the women on the 2015 World Cup-winning US Soccer Team came from being multi-sport athletes. And they credit a great deal of their abilities in soccer to their diverse experiences outside of soccer – to the additional development driven by exploration.

Leading up to 11th grade, students should prepare for college applications by spending time following their interests, seeking opportunities that challenge their thoughts and abilities. Students don’t have to look far for exploration: did you raise an eyebrow when a friend announced he was starting a surf club? Go to that first meeting! Have you wondered, even briefly, what it might be like to help build the sets for the spring musical? Go find out! Now true, you may not turn out to be the next Kelly Slater or Easton Smith, but the interests, passions, and skillsets that simple exploration will yield is what sets one college application apart from another. It is seeing a student taking advantage of what’s around them, learning from it and finding out what excites them, or, as Tufts University even directly has asked on their application, what they can “celebrate [on their] nerdy side” that catches the eye of college admissions officers.

You can’t fake passion on a college application. The only way to show drive and excitement to a college admissions officer is to truly experience it. And the only way to do that is to explore. So students, get out there, sign up for something that makes you pause for a second and see where the road may lead. It may not be the last stop, but it could be just the beginning of something great.

Looking for a place to start exploring? Check out Thrively, a unique website that exposes children and their families to local activities and opportunities designed to inspire passion.

Looking for more information on preparing for college applications? Check out our blogs on Getting Ready for the SATs, Starting to Write Your Personal Statement and Building Your College List.