Can a good spike make up for lack of club president positions in college applications? I’m trying to develop good spikes but that takes away my time from clubs.
No college requires an applicant to have a club president position. While many may value leadership, that can take many forms, not all of which require a title.
Additionally, I don’t think you have sufficient time in the next year to develop a meaningful spike (whatever you definition of a spike is) if you don’t have one already.
@skieurope I’ve done some research project over the summer and am looking into research paper submission competitions and other science competitions to use that. I’m hoping it’s not too late…
What other forms —could you give me examples?
That’s fine, but it’s an activity like many others. Choose the activity you lie/is meaningful/ties with future goals/pick your parameter. Don’t choose an activity with the goal of impressing colleges. You can still be a “normal” kid whose passionate about what you do without having to resort to buzzwords. At the end of the day, a rare accomplishment won’t make up for a shallow essay.
You may here that some colleges like spikey kids. You may also hear that colleges like well-rounded kids. What’s closer to reality is that colleges are looking for a well-rounded class which will include a mixture of both types. You need to present you in the best possible light, not some image of what you think a college wants. Good luck.
@skieurope Well, thank you 
but can you give examples of what you were talking about earlier — “While many may value leadership, that can take many forms, not all of which require a title”?
An example I’ve used before: In the NHL, each team starts the season with a 23 man roster. Generally, each team will also have a captain and 2 alternate captains. Does that mean that the other 20 guys are not leaders on the ice and/or in the locker room? No. Vets mentor rookies, as an example. Additionally, in the NHL, goalies cannot be captains or alternates (well, they can, but it’s a longer explanation that I’m not getting into). But nobody should suggest that Sergei Bobrovsky or Braden Holtby or Henrik Lundqvist are not leaders.
To use a high school example: the orchestra teacher at my kid’s high school sometimes, but not always, has a student who turns into the de facto orchestra assistant. That kid knows how everything works, and just does (or tells another kid to do) what needs to be accomplished. There’s no title or official recognition, but definitely a form of leadership.
Check out “How to be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport.
“The basic message of the book is this: Don’t wear yourself out taking as many classes as you can and being involved in every club and sport. Instead, leave yourself enough free time to explore your interests. Cultivate one interest and make it into something special that will make you stand out among the other applicants and get you into the toughest schools, even if your grades and scores aren’t stellar. Newport calls this the “relaxed superstar approach,” and he shows you how to really do this, breaking the process down into three principles, explained and illustrated with real life examples of students who got into top schools: (1) underscheduling—making sure you have copious amounts of free time to pursue interesting things, (2) focusing on one or two pursuits instead of trying to be a “jack of all trades,” and (3) innovation—developing an interesting and important activity or project in your area of interest. This fruit yielded by this strategy, an interesting life and real, meaningful achievements, is sure to help not only with college admissions, but getting a job, starting a business, or whatever your goals.”
http://www.examiner.com/review/be-a-relaxed-high-school-superstar
Leadership
When I was a senior in HS, I was a 4 yr Varsity soccer goalie. The coach picked captains, and it wasn’t me. I was mildly disappointed. In College, they started a Women’s varsity soccer team (this was way back). I helped recruit players, I showed players kicking techniques. Not because I was trying to get anything out of it for myself, but because I wanted our team to succeed. I was named Captain. Then I was ready…I was showing leadership.
Leadership can be President of a club or Captain of the Team or Section Leader in Band. But it can also be:
-Student involved in ethnic community center for years and then is asked to teach little kids
-Actual officer in a club
-Watched his little brother after school and encouraged parents to sign up brother for sports team and took him to practice
-Within a club, organized an activity for that club
-Lead a community service activity
-Lead singer of a band - sings, chooses set list, organizes transportation for other members
-Summer Camp counselor
-Boy Scout Eagle Award/Girl Scout Gold Award
-EMT Cadet
-Boys State/Girls State
-Tutors others
I think “spike” is overused. There are pointy kids out there, but very, very few are spikey. A spike isn’t developed in one summer. To the most selective colleges, one summer probably isn’t enough to make you pointy much less spikey, even if the activity is impressive. A spike represents focus and mastery and it takes a much longer period of time (very difficult to achieve for high schoolers). Any AO will recognize it immediately.