<p>I've seen a lot of people on this board that mention "president of this" and "treasurer of that," but I also see a lot about being involved in clubs that interest you. So which should I choose, because for my favorite ECs, becoming a head or doing something significant is not possible?</p>
<p>I'm a very involved person, but not anything I can excel in like as a "president." I'm part of a senior company dance club, where I practice at least 9 hours a week in all types of dance. I'm also a theater kid, and am in all sorts of shows. I'm a state ranked choir student, and sing in every choir my school offers. All of these ECs I adore, but, their not significant enough, according to the others on this board.</p>
<p>Will these kind of ECs get me into Columbia?</p>
<p>1) Well, for the sake of your personal development, I would say do the activities that interest you. Even if you don’t get officer positions in those activities (although you should still try your best to get them), you can still exert leadership (f.x - leading a fundraiser, sponsoring an event, etc.)</p>
<p>2) The activities you listed, such as dance club and theater, are not necessarily average clubs with positions. They are more skill-based (IMO); thus, the time you spent on them and the level of accomplishment you get will alone speak for your in-depth involvement. your state and roles in choir, for example, will catch the eye of an admission officer - no real need to put in superficial “president of choir.”</p>
<p>3) no set ec’s will “get you in Columbia.” Don’t worry yourself or engage yourself in thinking about that - its a waste of time. Just pursue you activities with care and passion, and the rest will follow. </p>
<p>If you want, read the post I wrote earlier today for another student that asked for help on evaluating EC’s. </p>
<p>i got accepted, but i have virtually no leadership positions. but the activities that i did made it really clear that i was into the cultural aspect and volunteering. you can show that you’re super involved without actually holding the position. i say do what you want. it’ll translate onto your application and also you’ll have more fun.</p>
<p>Thanks collegeftw! I know that there aren’t any set of EC’s that will get me into an Ivy, I just want to make sure it won’t be held against me. Because the activities I pursue, which is anything involving drama and the arts, aren’t as prestigious, if you will, but I love doing them! So, your feedback was very appreciated!</p>
<p>And thanks proggostick! That makes me feel better, because I think leadership will be my downfall. I am a fencing captain, and will <em>hopefully</em> get a leadership role in NHS, but besides that, I haven’t had many opportunities.</p>
<p>You could work to be a lead in your senior year production, and I’d be surprised if there was absolutely no hierarchy in the choir or dance team. I’m not saying you HAVE to be a leader, but there probably is a way to differentiate someone who’s just on the team from someone who has obtained a leadership position. If the EC is intense enough that very few people could handle being on the team, then that’s fine. Even if you’re not the captain, it’s impressive is you’re on a varsity team that went to the state championships, to use a tortured sports analogy. If you’re involved in ECs that you love and that are very intensive and time-consuming that simply don’t offer leadership positions, that’s fine. But if there is a chance for you to take the lead, you should try to do so.</p>
<p>The shows I do are EXTREMELY time intensive. Depending on the day, I can have anywhere between 2-7 hours worth of rehearsals. And that’s before even starting my school work.</p>
<p>Would you consider having a lead role as a leadership position?</p>
<p>Yes. Also, at my school, the really involved drama kids decided to create officer positions for “drama club” (basically just people who are involved in the shows). The positions themselves were pretty meaningless, but it was a way to reward the super involved students with being able to say they were “President” or whatever on their app.</p>
<p>A lot of kids do stuff which they don’t like. They do it purely to get into their ‘dream college.’
And unfortunately, when they don’t get in, they feel really miserable. After all, they spend their entire high school doing stuff to just ‘get in.’
Do what you really enjoy. That way, even if you don’t make it right there, you’ll still look back and smile fondly at the time you spend doing it. Nevertheless, if you do something with zeal and passion, chances are the admissions officers will realise that, and you’ll have a MUCH better shot than those kids who did stuff just for the sake of it.
Good Luck :)</p>
<p>P.S: I just got rejected Dartmouth ED. And though it sucked for the first five days, I’m glad I hadn’t just made up my application. I really am what I presented in my application and I hope to find a school where I’ll fit in, just like me ;)</p>
<p>pwoods, I agree…but I’m saying like if he can’t get a position its not something to die for</p>
<p>like I rather be an all-state choir member, singing leads, and listing on my app that I legitimately spend 15-20 hours (very big time commitments) on these activities than having none of these but having the title “president.”</p>
<p>Positions are sometimes artificial, especially in skill based activities such as these. </p>
<p>anyways, GLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGLGL and don’t get too nervous lol remember to enjoy life as well.</p>