For my school’s soccer team, there is a pretty selective process to be captain (i.e. interviews, team voting). So is it really worth it to be captain? Like how much does being captain help with college admissions? Thanks!
@valedictoriangod If being captain to you is all about college apps, then I suggest you reevaluate your priorities. You become captain of a team because you know you can lead and guide them, and you know you are dedicated to the team. On college apps, they just give you some “points” for having leadership qualities and maybe dedication, but trust me, there are THOUSANDS of varsity captains applying to colleges every year, you are not special. If you want to become captain, then do it, but not for the college admissions.
It is a good leadership EC but it won’t get you into a school you are not otherwise qualified for.
So, what I see is about half of the HS “captains” provide some useful leadership value. The rest are there by seniority, or just lack of a better choice. Colleges are after that true leadership and the college coaches really like it, too.
As already noted, it won’t get you in on its own.
1 Like
It shows depth of commitment – that a student doesn’t just dabble but is more deeply involved and respected by their peers. The actual work of being a captain can be a challenge sometime – my son is a Varsity captain, and he leads off-season practices, optional training sessions etc. He can’t skip when he is tired or wants to hang out with friends whereas other seniors can. But he loves his sport and his team and he would rather be doing that than most anything else so it is worth it to him.
So – captaincy shows commitment and leadership, assets which a student can demonstrate in any number of ways.
It is very good, but it is an enhancement, not a hook or something that would get you a look at a school that is a reach for you.
The process to become captain at your school does not matter, unless you are using it for an essay topic. The captain of my son’s soccer team was the brother of the coach’s best friend. The same kid was varsity for four years, and as a striker had few points. But he was captain.