I’ll be a senior in the fall, but I’ll only have a few small leadership positions b/c I unfortunately did not make President (might be VP but not banking on that) of the Girls in Tech club at my school, which is my main “thing” in HS I guess. My question now is how important is it to have positions if I am still very passionate and will be spearheading several initiatives/events for the Girls in Tech club anyway, despite having a smaller leadership position? I’m confident I’ll have a lot to write/talk about in my essays and interviews regarding my work in the club, but would not having the title significantly hurt my application in any way?
I’m applying to a lot of competitive schools, like Stanford, Brown, Tufts, Cornell, UMich, etc. if this helps answer the question. My stats are good (or will be anyway after this summer lol), I’m confident in my ability to write a good essay, and I also have recs from 2 solid teachers + my GC who knows me super well, but I’m just worried about how the leadership situation will affect my application.
What you do is more important that your title. Leadership positions can sometimes become more popularity contests than anything else. Convey your depth of involvement and commitment in your application.
I would limit the number of competitive schools so you have time to dedicate to supplements. You need a couple safeties, and then 2-3 matches and 2-3 reaches. Make sure you run the Net Price Calculators including recognizing that OOS publics rarely give good financial aid despite family income. Are you a Michigan resident?
Without your stats, it’s hard to say on the leadership anyway. Great stats won’t get you in but less than great stats can keep you out. GPA is more important than test scores but you need at least a 33 ACT for many on your list.
@happy1 Ok thanks – I’ve heard this before, but I just found out I wasn’t getting President a few days ago and I was feeling pretty bummed out b/c of the work I’ve put into the club already and where I want to take it in the future. Will definitely make my experience in the club a big focus in my college apps.
@Sportsman88 I have my stats on another post + all the schools I’m at least semi-interested in if you want to get a sense of what my college profile looks like, but most of the schools I like are fairly competitive (as in the case of many students on here lol) and I’m also an indecisive person so I’m having a hard time choosing which ones will actually be a good fit for me.
Not a Michigan resident, but loads of kids from my school get into UMich each year w/ similar stats (or lower) and I’ve heard lots of great things about the school, esp w/ CS (my intended major), and that they sometimes give good merit aid, based on the experiences of current seniors at my school.