<p>One of the essays for UBC Vancouver: Sauder asks that you write about a leadership experience. The problem is I have none, am I screwed and I should just forget about UBC, or is there some way I can write an essay about leadership when I have no leadership experience?</p>
<p>My D did not have any “formal” leadership experience. She was not a captain, team lead, troop leader, etc. She wrote about leading by example in an essay where this was a requirement. She gave specific examples, of course. And she talked about other ways she had shown leadership – for example, she recruited several classmates to join her high school academic competition team at the end of her first year when the coach said they needed a bigger team. One thing that does not seem to be clear to many people (even adults) is that leadership is not in the title, it is in your actions and whether other people respect you enough to follow your lead. </p>
<p>So… maybe that will help you think about this. :)</p>
<p>Definitely still apply. You are selling yourself way short saying you have ‘no leadership experience’. Even if you have not held a leadership position in some club or group, you have an entire life’s worth of experience to gather from. Think about a time where you exerted leadership in a small group setting, maybe in a class project, a group discussion, a family vacation or trip with a larger group of friends. I think a lot of people get held up with the idea that a leadership position intrinsically equals good leadership, which isn’t the case. Ideally, this may put you in a better position to articulate why you were a leader, not that you were a leader, if that makes sense. Look back on your life and find a moment that’s true, personal, real, and unique, and try to honestly convey in the essay. An admissions officer would take that over a droll essay about being President of the Duck Appreciation Club.</p>