What are some leadership programs in California that look good to colleges and help me develop as a leader? Some examples I know of so far are CASL and CASC, but are there any others?
First off, you’re going about this all backwards. Instead of trying to find leadership programs that look good to colleges, you need to be concentrating on programs that “light you up.” See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-dankoski/why-a-perfect-sat-score-c_1_b_9219184.html
Secondly, when colleges say they are interested in leadership, many students assume they are looking for captains of athletic teams, or presidents of student councils, or editors of newspapers, etc. And sometimes they are. But more often than not, as colleges are academic institutions, they are looking for leaders in the classroom. They are looking for students who not only contribute to the classroom conversation, but dynamically lead the discussion. They are looking for students who constantly raise their hands and have thoughtful opinions. They are looking for students who are respected by their peers and admired by their high school faculty. The are looking for students who will be remembered for a lifetime. Colleges are looking for your teachers and guidance counselor to confirm your leadership qualities in their recommendation letters with concrete examples. So it’s not about leadership in EC’s. In fact, my guess is that leadership in the classroom is MORE important than any leadership program you will find that you think will look good to colleges!
It’s not all about titles and programs. Leadership is a quality on its own, in how you think and act. And, how this shows. Kids who want a tippy top need to get away from thinking it’s a line on a resume. The only exceptions are a few top, uber competitive, that vet intensely, take few.
You’ve been asking versions of the same question for a long time. It’s coming across as trying to game this. And that’s not what top schools want.
@lookingforward I’m not trying to “game” this lol. I just didn’t get an answer on my previous posts for programs that seemed interesting so I tried reaching out to a larger audience. And you’re misunderstanding my point, it’s not like the main thing I want is to impress a college, that’s why I also asked where it would help me develop as a leader. If I can have a program that’s interesting and engaging for me AND would look good on a resume because of how it’s impacted maybe past students, that’s really what I’m looking for. Thanks for your input!
@gibby Sorry I probably didn’t word it right but I should’ve stressed the “develop me as a leader” part. Although I’d really like for the program I join to impress colleges for how it has impacted past students, I, more importantly, wanted to spend my team with an organization that will actually help me grow. It’s like getting two things in one haha. Appreciate your input!
@ballingthenbooks: From your post history, I see you are a freshman in high school, living in silicon valley with an interest in computer science. So you might want to research internships for high school students with your interests (CS or otherwise) rather than blindly ask, “What are some leadership programs in California that look good to colleges.” The end result might actually impress colleges because you would be pursuing your interests outside of the classroom and demonstrating that you are both a self-starter and a self-learner, two leadership qualities selective colleges look for in prospective applicants. That’s what I meant that you were going about things in a backwards way. For example, a google search of “Facebook high school internships” brings up this link:
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-07-10/silicon-valley-interns-facebook-welcomes-high-school-recruits
Best of luck to you!