Our son, who started the ninth grade this fall, was an honor student in the seventh and eighth grades. We are seeking guidance about leadership activities that we might suggest he explore as he enters his high school years.

Dear Concerned Parent,

You are to be congratulated for being so forward thinking on behalf of your son. Early planning will most certainly reap benefits for him in the long run because his high school years will fly by. I can guarantee you that his high school courses, GPA, and activity selections will be critical to his college acceptance chances.

I have a number of thoughts.

Given the fact that this is his first year of high school he will not be familiar with how clubs are organized or what options are available at his school. I suggest that you and your son have a discussion about the activities and study areas of interest he already has in mind.

As the school year progresses, I would encourage him to “shop” the clubs that catch his attention. This process will give him an idea of what is available, and he can then build a participation strategy around his choice of activity with confidence. It is an excellent idea to encourage him to pursue extracurricular activities that may have a connection with his career aspirations. Remember that it is the quality of the involvement and not the quantity of activity that will resonate with college officials.