<p>My counselor told me that between 2 applicants who have basically the same activities and grades, having a leadership position (president, VP, secretary, etc.) could be the deciding factor because it shows not only leadership, but also passion (which I believe is questionable) and responsibility. So how important is it in the whole admission process?</p>
<p>That depends upon the school. Some schools weigh ECs more than standardized test scores. Most public Us emphasize grades and scores over ECs (many don’t even consider ECs). To see what each school values, look up Section C of the Common Data Set for that school.</p>