INSIDER'S SECRET: Better to list the few extra curricular you've really focused on than a bunch of quickies like one semester in the chess club, one summer of football camp, one week of ladling soup to the homeless. Yes, high school should be time to explore lots of things, but those spoil-sport killer colleges look for "sustained interest and increased success." For example, they're impressed with the

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student who wrote for the student newspaper for two years then became managing editor, and then started an alternative paper.

If you're an athlete, visual or performing artist, or debater, throw in a taped video casette or CD of yourself. If you're a writer, send a sample of your writing. If you're a computer programmer, send your best creation.

How to save a huge amount of time? Don't do an activity just because it will look good on your application. Think about what it is in your life that holds your interest and which you excel at and write about this unique activity or passion.