The finals are done, the frisbees are out and the sun has never looked brighter.  It's time to enjoy summer and put aside thoughts of school. But that little voice in the back of your mind just won't stop whispering, "college applications."

Heed that mental warning. Now is a great time to examine your academic and extracurricular accomplishments, and to make a plan for attracting the attention of those picky college admissions officers. It's time to get serious about college admissions before it's too late.

These words may sound harsh, but they ring true in college admissions offices across the nation, says Jed Liston. Assistant vice-president for enrollment at the University of Montana, Liston has worked inside the admissions system for 25 years.

His best advice: start thinking about college admissions as early as possible in high school in order to separate yourself from the pack. But if you haven't done it yet, there are a few tactics for getting your foot in the door.

Bob Bardwell is a college admissions counselor at Monson High School in Monson, Massachusetts. He says putting too much pressure on students to apply to college earlier than junior year can backfire. He advises students to complete all research, campus visits and preliminary application steps by Nov. 1 of their senior year.

Students in a panic about college admissions should ignore their gut reactions and shy away from heaping classes and clubs onto their senior-year schedules. This kind of obvious transcript- or resume-padding can be a red flag for admissions offices. Adding things at the last minute can lead to questions about a student's ability to sustain a four-year program if the school uses a selective model for admissions.

"It's a big neon sign for college campuses," Liston warns.

Whether you're applying for a state university scholarship or to a private university, Liston's advice is to examine your shortcomings. Are you a one-sided wonder, involved exclusively in soccer? Then find something in your senior year that shows a different side of you. Are you a cruiser, sliding through school without challenging yourself? Then immerse yourself completely in some club or activity. You'll also want to research the requirements for the schools that interest you carefully.

"If you're going to do something your senior year, you need to jump into something whole-hog... to make any kind of impact," Liston says.

Stacking a bunch of extracurricular activities and more challenging classes in the last semesters of high school only tells college admissions offices that a student is a "late joiner and a resume booster," he says.

"Find a passion, find something that gets to you and throw yourself into it," he adds.

But be wary of what you do choose as your passion. Don't expect to join the Boy Scouts of America your senior summer and attain Eagle Scout, the highest and most revered rank, by graduation. That sort of commitment takes years, so choose wisely.

If you're already involved in extracurricular activities, Liston says it would be wise to shoot for leadership roles senior year. Remain an active member in every club you've joined, but become a student officer in a select few, and demonstrate your ability to take charge.

"If you're a member of five clubs, and you've been too busy with duties for all of them, you haven't really gone the distance," Bardwell says.

Bardwell has counseled high school students for 16 years. He says the most important factor to concentrate on regarding college admissions is course choice.

The courses you take in high school are the most important part of your transcript, and your transcript is the most important part of your college application, he explains.

For juniors, campus visits can also prove to be a critical aspect of the college application process. These visits serve as a "test drive" for students to determine whether a university is a good fit for them, he says.

"It's about fit more than it's about name brand."

But Bardwell offers reassurance to those students who worry that senior year is too late to catch a university's attention. He has advised students who have gone on to exclusive schools, as well as students who have graduated to smaller local colleges. His best advice is to have faith that you've tried your best in school.

"They have to just do the best they can," he says. "In this admissions environment, there are no guarantees."