Prepare with strong courses. Colleges look at many factors when choosing a good quality student. While you are in high school, take as many advanced courses as you can. Excelling in these courses will help you get noticed on your college application.
Make the most of your spare time. Extracurricular activities, especially volunteer work and community service, are a great way to get noticed on a college application.
Ace your classes. High school is a fun time, but when it comes to applying to college you must make the grade in order to get accepted. It is true that many colleges look at the overall student, but if you wow them with great grades and extra work you will get noticed.
Choose the people you want recommendations from wisely. Ask your professors if they would feel comfortable writing a recommendation for your college applications. This will give them a polite out if they don't feel as they can't paint the best picture of your academic success. Also, give them plenty of time to get the letters written by the deadline.
Stand out with your essay. A personal statement should be unique, so make sure to include the things that set you apart from the other applicants--not what you think they want to hear.