hi all! i’m currently a sophomore in the last 2 months of the year. recently i realized that i want to go into a career in graphic design. normally, this wouldn’t be a problem if not for the fact that i’m already halfway into my high school career with no experience in design at all.
i attend stuyvesant high school in new york city, and as a bit of a background to those who don’t know it’s one of the most intense schools and extremely competitive there when it comes to grades. (my current average is 92.1, when you factor in my 8th grade classes it comes out to a 93)
most of my time ends up going into studying for my core subjects, as i had a mental health slip during freshman year that’s still coming back to bite me. i’m taking 3 APs in my junior year, as per our AP limit, and i will also be a part of the honors society, underclassmen mentor program, and advanced band. over the summer, i’m taking classes in creative writing at columbia university since it’s something i enjoy, as well as sat prep. however, i have yet to attain any volunteer / leadership positions both in-school and out.
i will be teaching myself photoshop/illustrator over the summer and starting design classes in the fall, but i’m worried lack of experience will show in my portfolio. that and the additional lack of leadership positions (despite having extracurriculars i’m dedicated to) are making me extremely stressed over my chances for the future.
have i screwed up by not applying for leadership/volunteer positions? should i have taken a graphic design program over the summer instead? will a high SAT score potentially salvage me? i’m worried that it’s too late to fix my chances of making it into my top 3 schools (carnegie, northeastern, risd) because of my choices.
CMU and RISD will need a serious portfolio, but Northeastern CAMD isn’t as steep an admit path. The portfolio is optional and relatively low-key, and for that matter you could always apply undeclared and switch into the design major later - one of the great things about Northeastern is how easy it is to switch majors. (My own kid switched into a Design +X combined major after she was admitted, although she ultimately decided to attend a different college.)
CMU offers a Design Project option for students with a more limited body of past work. It may change a little in your year, but you could start brainstorming a little now: https://www.design.cmu.edu/files/designproject_090821.pdf
It pains me to hear the level of stress in this post! You are very young and have time to pursue your dreams… and your mental health is important above all! Think of it this way… what if you got to senior year and realized that in order to get into the kind of design program you really want, you needed to take a gap year, study art, and build a portfolio. (And maybe volunteer… teach art to homeless kids… work as a docent in a museum… do graphic design for a struggling nonprofit… the possibilities are endless.) Would that really be the worst thing in the world? Don’t let your high stress high school suck you into tunnel vision. It’s your life and your time - if you need more time, take it! You’re not trapped on a bullet train to the future; you have options. Savor your life and your interests, and don’t feel like you have to be all things to all people on an impossible timeline. It’s not “too late” for ANYTHING when you’re 16 (well, except maybe becoming an Olympic gymnast, lol) Breathe 
There are lots of excellent schools with strong art and design programs. There are terrific liberal arts colleges where you could explore art, graphic design, and creative writing; and you wouldn’t need a portfolio process to get in, because you wouldn’t even need to chose your major until the end of your sophomore year. There is really, really no need to panic at this stage. You sound very creative and accomplished and full of potential; but you don’t want to look back ten years from now and realize that you missed the chance to enjoy the process of finding your path, because you were too busy freaking out about having already missed some hypothetical boat. You can’t miss the boat if you’re at the wheel.