Colleges are looking for kids who don’t seem to have contrived résumés that check every extracurricular box. They want kids who have interests and who have pursued those interests. For some students, that will be just one or two interests that they have dug into, making them into “pointy kids” and for others, it will be a more well-rounded pursuit of a variety of interests—think “star-shaped kids.” Most importantly, both “pointy kids” and “star-shaped kids” should pursue those activities that interest them most. Remember, these interests should be organic and student-driven. Your parents may not see the value in some of your choices, but our world is changing quickly, and most activities will have some sort of future benefit.