dealing with disappointing junior year?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Ok, so I'm ending my junior year at school, and I simply feel I will be in a bad position for next year. I have no summer plans (I was rejected by Clark Scholars, Waitlisted by Canada/USA Mathcamp), my grades went down. I didn't handle the first part of the year well, and so I'm not exactly shining in any of my classes. It's definitely a disadvantage in the college admissions process (considering that my school is an incredibly competitive public school in NYC, so any failure on my part is amplified).</p>

<p>But what I'm more concerned about is my leadership. I guess it took me a while to discover my ECs (I'm still not exactly sure I've found them yet), but this year I've taken my involvement in my school's honor society (for upperclassmen) really seriously, being named Member of the month (which is a misnomer since members are only named 3 times a year) . Yet when applications to run the Honor Society next year came around, I was not chosen. There were no elections, just the current executives reading the applications. Even two other students that I though were guaranteed for the positions they were aiming for were not chosen, only one from my grade that I expected to be in the position got it.</p>

<p>It isn't just a "I don't know you" problem. I thought the current seniors who were on the 5-member executive council were generally very impressed with my initiative and how hard-working I am, clearly enough to let me manage a section of the volunteer events and award me with the Member of the Month. </p>

<p>Moreover, the disappointment is going beyond the whole college admissions thing too. I feel like I'm starting to get stuck in a Catch 22, where I need "leadership" on my resume to apply for a leadership position, therefore not having any experience as I go into the future. Moreover, there's also the empty feeling that I failed to make an impact on my school.</p>

<p>Sorry for the wall of text, but any advice would be appreciated.</p>

2

<p>No advice here just empathy. I’m in the same situation as you, hope someone can help you and me out.</p>

3

<p>Can you imagine what its like for admissions officers to try to determine which “leadership” positions are more “important” than others? </p>

<p>I’m quite sure that no one position makes any significant difference in the outcome for any particular student. </p>

<p>So in a nutshell I’m saying don’t even think about it. Being who you are is more important than filling so-called “leadership” positions, and remember that leadership shows up in many ways that aren’t always what you expect. Go find something really unique and off-beat to do this summer, and focus on being yourself more than being what you think some college desires.</p>

4

<p>Our situations are eerily similar…no summer plans, and due to a stupid miscommunication I will not be an officer for our NHS chapter this year. Not to mention a multitude of other things that just didn’t work out the way I thought they would. So, more empathy from me as you wait for other advice!</p>