<p>I'm thinking about running for my school's NHS leadership. Is there a difference in prestige between positions like President and Secretary for colleges? </p>
<p>President is sorta interesting because there are some concrete duties tied to the position and anything else to do with NHS is barely worth a note on your application. It’s a fine program in theory but it’s been stricken by falling standards and title bloat over the years.</p>
<p>Run for President if you want to do it. If you end up as Secretary that’s cool too. But don’t waste too much time or energy on what is essentially a little political simulation.</p>
<p>So I eventually settled on VP because the person running for president is a very, very popular girl. If I win, will it give a decent boost to the EC section of my college app?</p>
<p>FWIW: When colleges say they are interested in leaders, many students assume they are looking for captains of athletic teams, or presidents of student councils/NHS, or editors of newspapers. And sometimes they are. But more often than not, as colleges are academic institutions, they are looking for leaders in the classroom. They are looking for students who not only contribute to the classroom conversation, but dynamically lead the discussion. They are looking for students who constantly raise their hands and have thoughtful opinions. Colleges are looking for your teachers to confirm your leadership qualities in their recommendation letters with concrete examples. It’s not about leadership in EC’s, it’s leadership in the classroom.</p>
<p>I have the academic/scholar thing locked-down, I think. I participate a lot in the classroom and my teachers for the most part like me. Your point on being a leader in the classroom is valid, but it’s not what I think will hold me back. What worries me more is the ECs part of my application. </p>
<p>So would being VP of NHS leadership be something that will give me a boost?</p>
<p>Colleges look at your EC list to see what you do outside of the classroom – and they look for passion, and that is generally measured in years of devotion to an activity. Do you have demonstrated years of passion with NHS that has culminated in you being VP? Is this an experience that your teachers will write about in their letters of recommendation? (Yes, colleges look for your teachers to write about your EC’s.) If so, then I suppose it’s a plus – but no more so than another typical activity that another student has spent years participating in. </p>
<p>What does the NHS VP at your school actually DO? Answer that question, and we can help answer yours. Because just getting elected doesn’t mean squat.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, too many students look the same on paper. It’s easier for an Admissions Committee to admit a high school student who is a passionate runner and ran the NYC marathon backwards while juggling 3 balls in the air for 26.2 miles rather than admit another first violin player, debate team captain, school newspaper editor, a Capella group or Chamber Choir member or NHS vice-president. If your EC list resembles 5,000 or 30,000 other students, it’s much more difficult for you to stand out from the crowd. So, my advice: Unless you love to do some oddball activity, don’t think “will this activity boost my chances?” Instead, focus on what activity brings you more joy!</p>
<p>OK, well, all the leadership at NHS for our school basically just share the duties associated with running the club. So they’ll organize a lot of the events, the volunteering, the technology, etc. Other than titles, there’s really no difference between members of the leadership. It’s actually a big time commitment; around 15-25 hours per month because they have to do a lot of the work.</p>
<p>If this is one of your main EC’s, and it makes you happy to participate in it, then you can demonstrate your passion by being VP or P. </p>