Extra Curriculars

Would you guys consider being a tutor in both Science National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta a leadership position- even though it is NOT an actual ELECTED position. I mean it’s still showing leadership in dealing with others.
Would you guys even considered this an EC in the first place? Same with being a youthgroup leader in my church.
Thanks.

Leadership is setting up a tutoring program. Leadership is recruiting people to work as tutors. Leadership is holding a fundraiser to raise money to buy workbooks and study guides and other things used in tutoring.

Working as a tutor? Not leadership.

Not working for money, but volunteering. But Yes, it is on my own, I started tutoring initiative in those clubs. @mikemac

Starting a tutoring program is definitely showing leadership.
Being a youthgroup leader is also showing leadership.

For example:

Science NHS: Elected to NHS in 11th grade. Initiated tutoring program for Physics, Bio and Chemistry and now have 10 tutors for 23 students. Tutor Chemistry 5 hours per week.

(or whatever)

Is mentorship considered a leadership quality or under that umbrella? @bopper

But tutoring in itself (volunteering) is not considered leadership from these comments. What if it encompasses teaching the students good study habits, skills, etc besides helping in the subject? @bopper

You’re really fishing for someone to tell you that tutoring is leadership, aren’t you?

Adcoms aren’t going to see it that way, no matter how many posts you make to have someone say it is.

OP, I think you might be missing the point of the above posters …

Just working with others isn’t necessarily leadership. Most people are expected to work with others and do their jobs (even if its a volunteer job).

Leadership is identifying a need or a problem and then taking steps to fix or solve the need or problem to make something new happen. Or leadership is being in charge of a group, say youth group, and then being able to say "under my leadership we did x, improved x, initiated x, increased x etc " working towards a positive outcome.

Tangible results or change are helpful to show leadership… tutoring in itself can be leadership if you say innovated a new way of learning that increased scores of your students…

If you are a tutor/mentor then I agree with the others, that it would be considered as volunteering, not a holding a leadership position. If you hold a position where you coordinate the whole tutoring program, match students with tutors, set the parameters for the program etc. then that might be considered a leadership position.

Ok

@happy1 yes, I lead a study group. That’s why I was asking

Leading a study group would be considered volunteering IMO. That is not the same as coordinating an entire program. In the end it is your application and your decision as to how to present yourself – but I think volunteering is the appropriate place for this type of work.

@happy1 @runswimyoga
Would starting an online business be an EC or job experience or possibly both?
Also would it go under leadership possibly?

You and 1000s of your peers under the illusion that your attempts at “leadership” will really be noticed. Noticeable leadership isn’t the stuff that’s talked about on an advice site. It would be an activity or org that you’re really sold out for – regardless if any college ever took note or not. Being Student Body President or head of MUN or running some charity walk – are all cliche. I’m not saying don’t do these if you really desire it – but HS students almost universally over-estimate how much their supposed “leadership” will really matter to competitive schools.

Just get a job and work it hard enough to become a asst supervisor. That trumps 90% of all the other College Confidential leader wannbees.

Here’s a stand out EC, created by a young lady I interviewed (she’ll be a Stanford freshman this Sept) Hello, World! Thru her tech connections, she got funding to do two CompSci camps for middle school girls in her community. Because of her efforts in 2015, she was recognized at the White House.

Do you have any other examples of leadership a college admissions office would like besides the Stanford example and a job? Seems a little extreme. Also, mentioning my above comment, would having an online business be an EC or job experience? I’m unsure whether it would count as leadership though since I am the creator of it.

@T26E4

a quick google search brought up these results/ They were not hard to find. Great examples.

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/what-qualifies-as-leadership-on-college-applications/

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-what-s-good.html

You are the only one who knows if your online business is actual work experience or an EC. Because if you list it, you need to back it up with what you do, how much time you spend on it, income you make, etc.

If you start an online business that actually gets up and running, makes money etc. then I would place it under work experience. It is not a leadership position. It is a mistake to try to create things like “leadership positions” to fill up an application. College admissions officers will see through that in a minute and it likely won’t reflect well on your application. Your best bet is to be who you are, show what you have done, and let the chips fall where they may.

@happy1 Ok. But you wouldn’t put it under EC’s? Why not both?

“leadership a college admissions office would like”

Don’t become a leader in an organization simply to impress colleges.

This whole debate about elected v. other positions is frivolous. Your reasons for doing an activity–which will come through in your essays and recommendations–matter much more than you title(s) (for the most selective schools, at least).