If you are the President of a club that you are passionate about, then will colleges look at that favorably?
Sure. But it won’t get you into a school you are not academically qualified for.
I suspect you already know the answer. The real question is how MUCH colleges will view it favorably. Most colleges don’t give weight to leadership or ECs whatsoever – only academic achievement. For some that evaluate holistically, it simply depends. Selective college applicant pools are filled with EC rich applicants – some more sincere than others (resume padders). Since this is out of your control, do what pleases/enriches you w/o regard to how it looks to colleges.
Here’s a good test for you: how’s your succession planning for your group going? Or is it only a vehicle for you to ride?
Actually the very top schools do pay attention to things like leadership. Schools with applicants who mostly have very high grades and scores evaluate what they consider to be the less quantifiable aspect of an applicant’s credentials. Leadership can help but usually only if there are some objective external ways to judge the effectiveness of that leadership and the extent to which getting that leadership position meant that you were selected over other very successful candidates. If for example you were on a competitive academic team (for many years) that competed successfully at the nationally or internationally level and if your coach or the other students selected you because of your leadership potential and especially if that leadership position played a critical role in the success of that team. That is a very high bar. But, for these schools, that is the sort of thing they are looking for. Being a member of a team sport where seniors get placed as “captains” will not really buy as much at all.
Despite what is written, “passion” won’t get you a thing. What writers are referring to, and often don’t clarify, is that the outcome of having passion for something can be helpful. That outcome is being involved in something at a very deep level over a sustained period with outcomes that show a high level of success or unusual accomplishments. “Passion” by itself is just like an emotion. It is how you put that “passion” to work that can make a positive difference for you. Good luck!
Also, when writers suggest you follow your passions, they are not also saying that you will get into the college you want as a result. I think it is very good advice tho, for the following reason. If you thoughtfully “follow your passion” in high school you will graduate high school having done things that are meaningful to you. Will they always get you into your dream college? No. But they will always help you to find things that you value. High school isn’t all about getting into college. They are 4 of very important life years. Use them well and meaningfully because you don’t get then back. Don’t spend high school doing things to look a certain way to others-not even to adcons. Use high school to grow into being the person you dream you can be.