Leadership Position or Learning Position? What sacrifice do I make?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Hey everyone!

I’m in quite a dilemma. Before I get started, you should know a little about me. I am a freshman aspiring to get into a top school. I am taking two AP classes and I do a variety of extra curriculars such as Speech and Debate, Robotics, Key Club, and Change Forum, a club that I started.

Next week I will be trying out for the basketball team, and I am pretty confident that I will make the team. Even if I don’t make it, I will probably play for a Competitive Club League. In that case, I feel like I’ll be doing too much. I played basketball all my life, so I don’t want to give it up, so I will have to make a sacrifice elsewhere.

I am on a world-class FRC Robotics team, and qualified and was selected into the programming team. I don’t play a leadership position in FRC because the lead programmer is a junior, and by that time, I’ll be too far in high school to be deemed the new lead programmer. Basically, I will never have a leadership position in programming at FRC. I would add it is a big time commitment.

Here’s the thing. I been invited to my old FTC team. A lot of people in my grade who weren’t able to do FRC are doing FTC. I am guaranteed the Lead Programming Position.

I am conflicted on what I should do if I make the basketball team. In FRC Robotics, I will learn so much more but in FTC Robotics I am offered a Leadership position which looks good on college resumes. Remember, my main goal right now is to get into an elite college.

Now in the case that I make the basketball team, I will have to make a sacrifice. I could make the sacrifice in robotics, and stop FRC and go back to FTC. I could sacrifice something else, such as key club, speech and debate, and my own club.

What should I sacrifice?

2

I think you are stressing “official” leadership too much. Colleges do admit students who have no titles like “lead programmer” or “captain” or “president,” but who have shown meaningful commitment and significant accomplishment in an organization or at a job. You need to write the Activities section of your application in a way that shows why your accomplishments are significant.

Prioritize the activities that have the most personal meaning and enjoyment and fulfillment for you. Drop the ones that you care less about.

You have good reasons for your choices. Do not change them for “show” for an application. Do what you believe is the most enjoyable and meaningful for you, and then write an application that shows how great your contributions really were.

3

The above advice is great. Keep in mind that the people reading your application might not know the difference of these two groups. Also this is high school… You are allowed to have some fun. Balance that. Showing commitment in anything for 2-4 years is more important then the activity itself.

4

You don’t need to worry so much about leadership as a freshman.
This is when you should be doing a variety of activities…sports, robots, etc.
I would keep basketball and robotics because clearly you like them very much.
Your HS career shouldn’t be all about "what looks good for college’, but doing a variety of things you enjoy, will let you grow, and that help people.