<p>“Just do what you enjoy doing and let the chips fall where they may.” - That’s good advise. </p>
<p>It’s important (for life as well as apps) to do more than just homework during hs years. But following your heart when choosing ECs seems the best plan. You may or may not get into your top choice schools even with a leadership position. But either way you will have invested time wisely by cultivating areas of interest.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter. At our high school kids with high stats, perfect GPA, winners of multiple awards and hold leadership positions in some important activities got rejected at all the reach schools that he applied. He’s going to his financial safety. Perhaps he knew all along he would be going there and adcoms saw it in his application( but who really knows).</p>
<p>It’s not exactly about “leadership positions.” It’s about showing you have leadership skills and experience, maturity and energy. (As noted, that’s not a matter of titles.) And, that you have held responsibilities- whether that’s as part of a team or independent of hs. And are willing to make commitments over time to some activity or pursue a variety of activities within an interest area- but also occasionally take a risk and try someting new. Or, do things simply because they benefit others. A combination of all of that works well.</p>
<p>The problem with just following your “passions” is that many kids literally do just that- they only think of what they like or what moves them. Top colleges like kids who can climb out of their own self-defined comfort zones. </p>
<p>They know that working at a soup kitchen or mentoring, being a museum guide, holding a job are a lot more involved than, oh, participating in one “good deed” activity. They know that some clubs are more chances for kids to hang out with buddies than do any good or stretch themselves. And so they look for evidence of what you actually did.</p>
<p>You don’t need a fancy attachment- just a few carefully selected words in the descriptions.</p>
<p>Some colleges actually have a category called “glue.” These are the kids who get things done, even if they aren’t elected officers; the kids who always take on more than their fare shares, etc. </p>
<p>So, don’t worry about it. Just make sure, if at all possible, that someone writing your rec knows the situation.</p>
<p>Agree with all the posters who pointed out that a student can show leadership skills without having a title. Just make sure you describe what you are doing in various organizations or that your rec letters show how you contributed to an organization/activity. </p>
<p>Also, you don’t have to tie yourself to high school EC–there are tons of outside opportunities to participate and show your skills. Find an organization/activity that really excites you and go for it. My oldest D wasn’t in a single high school EC–she had one activity that she pursued, which was outside of the high school experience. She was accepted at a number of top-25 college/universities.</p>