If I could give everyone one piece of advice about the college application process, it would be this:   
Be different from the beginning. Don't wait until the summer after junior year, or worse, the fall of senior year to begin this process.    You might be seeing the stress in seniors who are frantically (疯狂地) visiting colleges, writing essays, and completing applications.
 Do some research and think beyond the "usual suspects" (备选) before you find the most suitable choice. Colleges compare students from the same high school with the same measuring stick since they read all the applications together. If your coursework and test scores don't look good enough, it will be more challenging to be accepted. However, your leadership or special talents may be more impressive if you are one of only a few students applying to a certain college.
Be different in the activities you choose and follow your interests, not your friends.     It could be tutoring, the environment, dancing, writing, or starting a business, but take part for the right reasons. Your activities should be meaningful and tell a story about who you are.
Be different in what you write about in your essay to stand out. It is the one tool that gives you total control, so use it wisely. Write what you want them to know about you, not what you think they want to read. Brainstorming your essay topic is a self-reflection process.    Find something unique.

A．Try to develop your talents.

B．Be different in preparing your college list.

C．Stay away from topics that everyone writes about.

D．Dare to be different.

E. Imagine what people are usually interested in.
F. Starting early will relieve much stress.
G. Find something that matters to you or something you care about.