<p>Is there a difference when adcoms see section leader in Marching band, or sitting down concert band? I know section leaders do much much much more in Marching Band than in Concert band, but how do the adcoms see it? I'm not in marching band, and my instrument is my main extracurricular, and many of my other activities branch off of this
Problem is, there is this freshman (i am a sophmore) that is a complete beast at the instrument that I play, and is probably going to get section leader for the next 2 years. Note, that this is concert band.
How much would "concertmaster/section leader" boost an app, or hurt it if it isnt there?</p>
<p>It probably won’t make that much difference in an application particularly since the relatively few colleges that pay a great deal of attention to ECs are some of the country’s most competitive, and being a Julliard-quality musician is what would make one stand out in their admissions, not being a section leader or concertmaster in a regular high school music group.</p>
<p>I am not talented at all at trumpet in band, decent at best. I became a section leader (1 of 3 for my section) for my personal skills (basically most levelheaded/not pothead senior in my section), not for my talent. At least my band is great…takes marching band really seriously, state champions this year and last year.</p>
<p>The EC of section leader itself is not that important, not any more than NHS president or something like that. But if you’ve gained experience or a great story from it, than it’s worth much more. I wrote my application essay on being a regular trumpeter in state championships last year and on leading my section this year; band was a conduit for my lessons in cooperation, leadership, etc. and my band experiences inspired my writing. As clear from the above paragraph, I’m a world away from Juilliard material–I still took a lot away from band though, and it allowed me to express the best traits of myself. And, especially, to express those traits in a compact college essay.</p>