Hi, I am just finishing sophomore year for the first two years of high school I have been on my “class leadership team”. Each class of 200 students selects 5 people to represent them and help plan their part in the field day competition. Sophomore year I was also chess club vice president. However, for junior year I was not re-elected for my class leadership team, but I still have a chance at chess club (we haven’t finished chess club elections yet). I also have a chance to run for homeroom rep next year, a very small part on student council. Because I was not re-elected for my class leadership team (but have the chance to try and run again for senior year) will that hurt my chances of admission at colleges such as MIT, Stanford, or Princeton?
No. High school offers a huge number of other leadership opportunities, not all of them elected positions.
Leadership positions do not necessarily mean titles. People think that a simple “Club President” will show leadership to an admissions committee, but it doesn’t.
Being a leader in the classroom by leading discussions, asking thought-provoking questions, being a leader at home by taking care of your siblings, cooking for them, helping with their hw etc. hold more weight than a leadership position in a club. You don’t have to have a title to be a leader as there are so many ways to demonstrate leadership.
And no, not getting elected does not necessarily hurt you with admissions as I bet adcoms know that most (not all) of the time, school council/class leadership is generally a popularity contest, not always a show of true skill.
Agreed. Leadship can mean many things, some of them even on a team. Your teachers, for instance, can write about your leadership in the classroom if you demonstrate leadership during class discussions. If you take an active role in the school, that is something your GC can take note of. Like @rdeng2614 said, leadership is more than a title and can be expressed in many different ways