i recently founded this “club”; though it is not sanctioned by the school everyone likes it and we’re thinking of creating chapters at other school. will this help my admissions chances? can i even put it on the common app?
Just saying you started a club, whether it’s in school or not, is not impressive. Saying that you started a club and articulating specific examples of what you contributed to make it a success is “useful”.
I agree with GMTplus7, AO’s can see through attempts to impress them. If you manage to actually achieve something with the club, then all the better. Else, you’'l look like the typical applicant submitting a laundry list of things. Achievements, not numbers, impress colleges.
Why not get it sanctioned by the school if “everyone likes it”??
But I agree with the past 2 posters-- it looks like a cheap attempt to pad a weak resume.
Be honest with yourself. If another person had suggested this “club” a week before it hit you to be a “founder” would you be equally enthusiastic about joining and making the club work – because its mission/purpose has such a compelling call for you?
or is the idea of being a “founder” of a club (with associate chapters in other schools) really what’s driving you?
Not that clear to you how to answer? How about this: what’s your succession plan on grooming the follow-on officers? Don’t have one?
Use these two questions as litmus tests to whether this club is resume padding or truly worthy of “founding” purely on its own. I highly suspect the former – because if it were the latter, you’d not even be asking anyone how it “looks” to colleges. Sorry if you find this cynical but I think my head would spin the day a high achieving HS applicant says they were EXCITED to be the vice-president of an org.