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Back in the day, in order to get accepted into a great school, all you needed to do was make excellent grades and do really well on the standardized tests. Kind of makes you chuckle doesn’t it, because you can easily imagine your own grandparents saying something like that (“Back in my day…”) before they told your parents to do what they did and get a job? Gramps wasn’t trying to be mean or unsupportive; he was just conveying the reality of his time: that going to college wasn’t a given or even a possibility for the majority of the country back then.

Fortunately, the opportunities to receive a higher education are more available to many more people in this day and age. At the same time, that hopeful picture from yesterday of simply doing well in high school is no longer the case because colleges and universities have such a pool of superlative candidates from which to pull that they are much more selective to whom they choose to extend acceptance letters.

Maybe the old timers were on to something: in order to separate themselves from the pack of wannabe college students, your kid may need to take a lesson from the past…and show his or her vision for the future. But merely getting a job isn’t going to cut it, because lots of kids have to work through high school and have jobs on their resumes. What most of them don’t have, however, is a successful entrepreneurial endeavor and legit business experience under their belts.

Here are some creative ideas for starting an entrepreneurial business in high school that can improve your student’s impression on college admissions officers and have a profound positive impact on their lives from this point forward.

Think Green

Evolving yet another ‘oldie but goodie’ involves starting a landscaping or lawn care business. And with the rising costs of education, starting a “green” business in high school can prove extremely helpful for providing some of the green to pay for college.

Remember that businesses do not need to be large, complicated, or full of employees in order to be successful. All you need is the upper hand in supply and demand: identify a product that you can offer to the consumers at a profit.

Yards and residential lawns abound and someone has to maintain them. And since the largest aspect of yard work is the labor, as long as your kid can invest the time – without the grades suffering, that is – the majority of the income is straight profit.

And to address the grades issue, by developing a self-sustaining repeat business model, once the initial legwork of generating a clientele base is over, your entrepreneur can spend more time making sure their academics are in order.

Finally, an outdoor business involves the purchase of tools and machinery that are a one-time investment but can be reused over and over on each client’s property. And here’s a plus–they can continue the business while attending college.

Smart start ups for entrepreneurs

Some ideas for smart start-ups include products like:

• Gardens: Whether they build raised bed gardens with lengths of lumber or improve an existing garden’s curb appeal with a lattice surround, the basics are the same. They’ll need a truck for hauling supplies and a creative eye to set their designs apart from other professional landscapers.
• Fences: If they don’t necessarily have green thumbs, they can still make green by investing sweat equity in putting up fences for residential properties. Another option for “staff” that can cut down the project time exponentially is hiring their friends to help put up the fences.
• Paint: If the inside world is more their speed, beginning entrepreneurs can still make bank by starting a painting company. And they can further narrow down their focus by deciding whether they want to specialize in residential or commercial buildings and basic surface painting or artistic detailing with painted murals.

*Tip: Develop a website to drum up business and convey to a prospective college an awareness of technology’s ever-increasing role in modern business practices.

Notes for Newbies

Make sure your kid keeps meticulous records related to:

• Business Plan: This will speak volumes to an admissions officer in terms of your candidate’s ability to conceptualize a workable business model.
• Financial Records: In addition to keeping money issues straight with clients, keeping detailed records with finances makes it easy to convey the financial success of your entrepreneur’s business.
• Portfolio: A picture is worth a thousand words, and since an admissions representative can’t do site visits, being able to present them with a professional looking portfolio will give them a visual of what your kid is capable of.

What are some other creative ideas for starting an entrepreneurial business in high school?

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Today’s guest blogger, Chris Long, is a store associate at a Chicago-area Home Depot. Chris is a frequent contributor on lumber and wood topics for the Home Depot website. He also writes on fencing, garden and other outdoor project tips to homeowners.

Wednesday’s child may be full of woe but Wednesday’s Parent can substitute action for anxiety. Each Wednesday Wendy and I will provide parent tips to get and keep your student on the college track. It’s never too late or too early to start!

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Paul Hemphill, a successful college counselor and the Video College Advisor knows the importance of extracurriculars:

“Getting into college is now all about presentation. As a student you’re like a little brown box with thousands in front of you and behind you and you all look the same. You need to put a ribbon around your little brown box. Ribbonize your sameness!”

How your student packages himself will make the difference and that difference could be all about the extras—the ribbon on the box is your student’s extra activities outside the realm of academics. As I have said often, it’s not a pumped up list of activities to stack the resume. It’s the extras that set your student apart from other applicants and culminate with an offer of admission.

What are the extras?

Extras, or extracurricular activities, are what students occupy their time with outside of studying and taking tests. These activities can be school sponsored activities, community service, church sponsored service, a part-time job, or even personal hobbies and talents. The list is endless but it should represent who your student’s goals and interests.

Why are the extras important?

Colleges are looking for well-rounded students. Colleges aren’t looking for students who bury their faces in books, hide out in their dorm rooms, and hibernate in the library. They need students who will contribute to their student population and participate in activities on campus. A student with hobbies and interests, communicate organization skills and multi-tasking qualities—both of these are needed with the added difficulty and challenges in college.

How do students determine which extras to choose?

Here’s where you can help—encourage them to participate in activities that interest them. Pushing them to run for student council or campaign for school president if this is not their area of interest will not end well. You know your student better than anyone else. What interests them? What do they like to do? What types of sports are they involved in? Do they like to serve others at church or in the community? Asking these questions will help you guide your student as they determine their interests.

How do students package the extras?

Consistency is key when approaching extracurriculars. College admissions officers can spot a stacked resume a mile away. When they see a student who has done the same activities for four years they take notice. And when they see an unusual activity, the application goes to the top of the pile quickly. This is a ribbon on the brown box. Starting and maintaining a small business while in high school, participating in local politics and training guide dogs are examples of these “outside of the box” activities.

The extras are just the beginning of your student’s life of discovery. These extras shape their academic futures and their future careers. Knowing what they want will help them stay on track in college and find a job in their area of interest after graduation.

As always, Wendy (POCSMom) adds her expertise and her unique perspective on adding the extras–don’t miss her take on the topic!

When your teenager enters high school they are told from day one that they NEED extracurriculars to get into college. Parents nag them about it. Counselors and teachers lecture them about their importance. Most of the advice they receive, however, neglects to mention one crucial point: padding the resume with activities does not impress college admissions officers. They can spot this tactic when they see it and it gives a negative impression on the application.

How should you approach extracurriculars? With planned purpose. Begin freshman year by examining your likes and dislikes and trying out some activities. You don’t need a long list; just a few that you enjoy and are willing to commit to for four years. Think outside the box and remember that all activities don’t need to be school related. One student gained admission and a scholarship because an admissions officer that his hobby of raising carrier pigeons was unique. The possibilities are endless based on your interests.

Don’t forget that extracurriculars are only one part of the college application. Don’t spend so much time focusing on them that you neglect academics and test prep. A well balanced student possesses all the qualities necessary to impress the college admissions officers.

Read more for a comprehensive article on extracurriculars