When you’re preparing to apply to college, a lot of people will recommend that you do this or that to improve your application. A lot of their advice is misleading and won’t work. Fluffing your transcript with meaningless things won’t help you, and might even hurt your acceptance chances. Here are a few things to avoid — because they won’t help.

Many high schools have a community service requirement, so colleges see volunteering as your bare minimum in graduating. Claiming to volunteer your time doesn’t always mean that you were very involved. You are trying to make yourself look like a public-service superhero, but colleges will see right through that delusion. Most volunteer work is not about developing a passion or a vision that will take the world forward — it’s just a feel-good hobby that should already be the standard for productive members of society. Your nursing home caroling won’t make a noticeable difference in the vast world: don’t claim that it does. Often, volunteering is about being a cog in the machine of someone else’s vision — a lot of which is unhelpful.

There are of course exceptions, like what we are seeing from the Parkland Shooting survivors. The #NeverAgain movement is their spearheaded effort to make a very real change in the world. It’s a major campaign that is incomparable to your volunteer work. Marjory Stoneman Douglas survivors can write about their activism, because they are building a unique movement — one that has captivated the media, and the country, for weeks. Be like the Parkland survivors: do something interesting, different, and helpful.

Colleges are looking for passion and involvement. Unless you are starting an organization and doing something extremely innovative or entrepreneurial, volunteering is not your ticket to the university of your dreams. Start an Etsy store, grow a YouTube channel, drop-ship makeup from China and sell it on Amazon. Literally anything other than volunteering will make you stand out to colleges. If you strengthen your individuality when you are young, colleges will notice — you’re already on the path to a successful life.

There are two kinds of mediocre activities: activities that take up very little time, and activities where you are a sidelined competitor. For example, if you are on the swim team, but you spend most of the time on the bench, your activity is mediocre. If you are a mediocre competitive swimmer, you should quit the swim team and partake in activities where you will be more successful. Spend your time on things that will let you display leadership. Colleges want to see that you are a larger part of an organization’s mission. For the majority, competitive swimming is a hobby, not a transcript element.

You will want to represent yourself as unique. Excelling in unique areas will give you more to discuss in your college applications. Don’t waste your time where you are not uniquely adept. Colleges want to see that you can grow your strengths in one area, because that’s a glimpse into your success on campus, and in the workforce. College majors and career paths are life-consuming hobbies: display your success in one while you’re young.

In case you’re not getting it: don’t do what other people tell you to do. Don’t do what you think you should do. Do what you want to do, and do what you excel at. Don’t do something because someone told you it would look good on your résumé. Just don’t. Do things you are passionate about: schools are looking for passion. You only have 4 years of high school to build the foundation of who you are: don’t waste your time on societal checklists. Time is money: invest it with your self convictions. Ivy students invested their time wisely, and that’s the difference. Weave an interesting story.

Going to a leadership seminar for two days of your life won’t get you into college. What makes a difference to colleges is dedication. It’s digging yourself into a particular activity and making it a part of your routine. A lot of summer camps and leadership seminars are for-profit companies that prey on boring, directionless students. You’ll look like a sucker if your transcript is a rap-sheet of feel-good events that you purchased your way into. Cycle across the country, write about social infrastructure, pitch a documentary to film festivals. Be interesting; don’t play at summer camp.

Colleges want students who are making change in the world. They want students who have vision. They want people who take advantage of every opportunity. You want to engage in activities that make a difference in your world view. You want to invest time, week after week, in something that you are dedicated to. Colleges are looking for passion and commitment: they want their students to get involved, become the best, and stay involved.