Prepping for college is a daunting task for kids and parents alike, and it can be difficult to know exactly which submission strategies will actually help prospective students stand out to their dream schools.

Take extracurricular activities, for example. According to Kate Stone, founder of Kate Stone Prep, some extracurriculars will add exponentially more value to an application, while others…not so much.

In an Instagram reel posted in November 2025, Stone ranked a handful of popular high school activities—from instruments to prom-planning—from one to 10.

See how each fared below:

Girl choosing between extracurriculars.Canva Photos.

In an interview with Today, Stone noted that the highest ranking activities help students differentiate themselves (hence why the viola is a high ranking instrument than the more common violin), show their passion (rather than “just check a box”), and/or demonstrate their ability to make a positive impact (this is why solving community issues ranks so high).

To that end, she warned that "anything that thousands of kids are doing is always going to be less helpful for you."

What Stone has touched on, which many other experts agree with, is that, above all, an extracurricular activity should reveal something authentic about the applicant.

“Ultimately, effective selection means finding a "spike"—a deep engagement with a specific subject that creates digital evidence of excellence. Whether you are self-studying for an AP exam, securing a niche internship, or mastering an "off-the-beaten-path" talent like Puppet Arts, your goal is to show colleges that you are self-aware, dynamic, and ready to solve complex, real-world problems,” says Carrie Jorgenson, owner at Early Bird College Inc.

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“Extracurriculars tell you what motivates a student when no one is looking. They reveal curiosity and the kind of self‑driven learning most colleges are looking for today… A student’s activities should help tell a coherent story about who they’re becoming," added Melanie Haniph, founder of College Admissions for Parents.

Still, Lisa Marker-Robbins, Master Certified Birkman Consultant and founder of Launch Career Clarity® warns that many colleges seek out applicants with “major-specific” extracurriculars. So “applying without evidence of interest in that field can weaken an application, even at schools that do not directly admit by major.” Another thing to keep in mind.

College prep is undeniably overwhelming, but at least when it comes to extracurriculars, the mission seems rather straightforward: Commit and go deep. Applications aside, that seems like a pretty good skill for young folks to hone no matter what.

Millennial parents and Boomer grandparents don't always see eye to eye on parenting and grandparenting. Now, Millennial parents are uniting on a nightmare Boomer grandparenting trend that sees them "excessively gifting" their grandkids with tons of both new and old *unwanted* stuff during visits.

Ohio mom Rose Grady (@nps.in.a.pod) shared her "Boomer grandparent" experience in a funny and relatable video. "Just a millennial mom watching her boomer parents bring three full loads of 'treasures' into her home," she wrote in the overlay.

Grady can be seen looking out the window of her home at her Boomer mom and dad carrying bags and boxes up her driveway after several visits. The distressed and contemplative look on Grady's is speaking to plenty of Millennial moms.

Today's "treasure" highlight was the mobile that hung in my nursery... #boomerparents #boomers #boomersbelike #millennialsoftiktok #millenialmom #motherdaughter

Grady captioned the video, "Today's 'treasure' highlight was the mobile that hung in my nursery..."

The humorous video resonated with with fellow Millennial parents. "Straight to the trash when they leave," one viewer commented. Another added, "I always say 'if you don’t want it in yours, we don’t want it in ours' 😂."

Even more Millennial parents have shared and discussed their situations with Boomer grandparents buying their kids too much stuff on Reddit. "Both my mother and my MIL love buying and sending toys, books, clothes, etc. I don't want to be ungrateful but we just don't need it and don't have the space. I have brought this up politely in 'we are all out of drawers for that' but it hasn't slowed things down," one explained. "I think part of the issue is that the grandparents live in different cities and vacation a lot. They don't get to see our daughter much so they buy stuff instead."

Another Millennial parent shared, "While the intention is very kind behind these, all the grandparents are very aware that we do not need, nor wish to receive these gifts in such an excessive volume - as it creates a daily struggle to store and accommodate in our home. I struggle to keep on top of tidying as it is, and this is a massive added challenge."

Millennial mom struggles to organize her son's room.Image via Canva/fotostorm

So, why are Boomer grandparents excessively gifting? "Boomer grandparents may be the first grandparent generation to have accumulated the substantial discretionary funds that enables them to spend money on their grandchildren," Sari Goodman, a Certified Parent Educator and founder of Parental Edge, tells Upworthy. "These grandparents probably grew up with grandparents who didn’t have that kind of money and so they may be excited to give their grandchildren the things they didn’t get."

Goodman suggests that Millennial parents first discuss with them the "why" behind the gifting. "What comes before setting a boundary to limit over-the-top gift-giving is delving into the reasons grandparents are buying so much," she explains. "Coming from a place of compassion and understanding makes it possible to come up with mutually beneficial solutions."

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She recommends that Millennial parents sit down with their Boomer parents to learn more. "Did they grow up without many toys and clothes and are fulfilling a dream? Ask them about the values they learned as children (hard work, perseverance, the power of delayed gratification) and how they can pass on these lessons to the grandchildren," she........

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