I’m a current senior in high school with a 3.79 GPA U/W, 2100 SAT (650 CR, 750 M, 700 W). Though I’m not in many clubs, I am pretty devoted to them. I’ve been in red cross club (attend meetings, charity walks, fundraise by selling coffee to teachers) for 4 years and spend 3hrs/week and also a very active volunteer at my local library (hw help, board games with kids, book-shelving, reference desk) since soph year and I spend on average 4hrs/week during school year and 15/week during the summer. I’m also in two other minor clubs as recreational interests (going on trips in the city and watching documentaries about space), but I have no leadership whatsoever in any of them. Should I list these two on my EC list anyway? I’m also going to be in the environmental club (clean up local park and recycle), student newspaper, senior mentor (help freshmen adapt to the transition from middle school to high school), and peer tutor this year. Since these extra-curriculars will be so recent, should I even mention them at all? Do I stand a chance at schools like: UCLA (OOS), USC, Vanderbilt, Cornell, Georgetown, and NYU with such “generic” (in the eyes of others) activities and no leadership? If not, will an essay that conveys my passion for volunteering at the library and red cross club make up for the lack of leadership positions and lack of ECs (quality>quantity)?
Leadership does not have to be a title.
True leadership means having an impact on your school and/or community and really only essays and recommendation letters can truly reflect that.
Also, in the activities section, you write a brief description, so adcoms will see how devoted you were to the club and not mind that you didn’t have a leadership position.
For some of the schools listed, your GPA and test scores are more of a hindrance than your “lack” of extracurricular activities, so first semester of senior year focus on those grades.