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<li><p>How much will the things that I do (like extracurriculars) during senior year really matter towards my admissions chances? Because my parents are really restricting me from starting new things this year, and I wanted to get a few more things onto my resume. But in the grand scheme of things, does this kind of thing not matter that much?</p></li>
<li><p>If I have a great academic record (very high GPA, 8 AP classes + 4 more during senior year, 2380 SAT score, three >750 SAT II scores, etc.) and decent extracurriculars (nothing that REALLY sticks out though...), will it really hurt my chances if I don't have a lot of leadership (I'm very shy)? I have 1 or 2 small positions in clubs, but nothing that really stands out. I'm hoping to balance this lack of leadership with other skills that I have, like writing. But how much will my quietness hinder my chances at the ivy league level?</p></li>
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<p>In a word, yes. It is unfortunate, as unless you are ridiculously good in some academic subject (like USAMO), you are at a fairly serious disadvantage. There are a huge number of people with academics just like yours, but with activities they dedicate themselves to and achieve some pretty great things.</p>
<p>For most colleges in the country, ECs don’t count for admissions. They are factored in – at most – for merit aid. GPA is what’s most important when it comes to admission. </p>
<p>The exceptions are places like HPYS that get such an overabundance of high stat applicants, that those colleges can pick and choose from their outstanding application pool to pick the students who most would contribute to an active, diverse campus. Also, when it comes to such colleges, what you accomplished in an EC is more important than having a title. If you created projects, raised money, took on and successfully handled a major responsibility in a club, made a difference in someone’s life by tutoring them, for instance, all of those things are examples of leadership. If you’ve done those things, you’d just need to explain that on your application.</p>
<p>I wish I could copy and paste them because I often give the same answers because each year, students ask the same questions. There needs to be a “Best of Northstarmom” thread. :)</p>
<p>I don’t have any “official” leadership positions, but as long as your small position doesn’t translate into a small amount of involvement, you’re okay. Of course, this is a small, anecdotal sampling, but everyone I know at HYPS and the like with the exception of one person did not have an official leadership position. They were just very involved in their ECs. One’s main “EC” was actually riding her bike. She rode everywhere.</p>