<p>I have almost straight A's in several honors classes. I have completed hours and hours of community service and a couple of extracurriculars. I'm going to be a senior this fall and I'm worried about my "lack of leadership".</p>
<p>I'm really down in the dumps because I was rejected from the National Honor Society at my school AND a Student Leaders program (where Seniors simply help the freshman adjust to high school) because I was never captain of a team or head of a camp like all the other kids who were accepted. In fact, I applied for the programs to TRY to become more sociable, and them rejecting me really discouraged me from applying for other activities.</p>
<p>It just doesn't make sense to me. Not everyone has that kind of personality or likes so much attention. Some of us are just shy and introverted, it doesn't mean we'd do bad if admitted, it just means that we maybe wouldn't be gabbing 24/7. I would still do my best to help. I really wish I had got in. Honestly, why should that stop us from being given a chance to serve my community in NHS or help freshman in a Student Leaders Program? </p>
<p>It seems unfair that a more reserved person would have less of a chance at getting admitted simply because of their personality.</p>
<p>a lot of colleges really care about what the individual student would bring to their campus community as a whole. and I know it sounds harsh, but who will contribute more to the community, a smart shy introvert or a vocal, experienced leader that will speak up when something needs to be changed. I don’t think it’s necessarily fair, but that’s just how life works man.</p>
<p>It sounds like you have answered your own question. Adcoms like people who demonstrate self-confidence, achievement, influence and persistence. Leaders demonstrate all of these qualities.</p>
<p>I agree with you that introverts can be effective leaders. However, leaders will definitely not be discouraged by rejection.</p>
<p>If you want to help freshmen or your community, then do so. Don’t worry about programs or titles.</p>
<p>I definitely feel you. Going into freshman year, I didn’t really care about college or high school really. I failed to join a lot of clubs, and by the time I realized that involvement in school could make or break me, it was too late b/c of the competition with the incoming freshmens and sophs (who have priority).
However, I do believe that leadership is a core skill that is important to influence change and cooperation. But, even if you are not the local swim team captain or a founder of some humanity club, you can still find ways to showcase leadership. Leadership does not have to exist in only your titles but also your character- this is where extracurriculars, such as dance, volunteering, and other talents can come in handy. This is also where the essay comes in handy… if you can show that you have passion, persistence, determination, and all the qualities of a good leader, you can definitely increase your “leaderness”</p>
<p>If your lack of EC’s you can always look at colleges that place more of an emphasize on grades and scores, or look at international schools like McGill or the University of Toronto which don’t even look at extracurriculars and admit students solely on their gpa and ACT/SAT scores.</p>
<p>It’s true that EC’s are only very important at a small number of highly selective schools, so don’t worry too much. </p>
<p>That being said, leadership positions do usually show that you have put in time and effort, and are not just listing random clubs to pad the resume’. You do not need to hold a position to be a leader. One girl I know wrote her NHS essay on how she mentors the younger athletes in her sports club because she is the oldest girl there, so the younger ones look up to her. She, too is shy like you. Think about how you spend your time and how you affect those around you, and you might be surprised that you actually do take on the role of leader, teacher, mentor sometimes. </p>
<p>NHS is just a badge of honor at most schools, not a very active group. I don’t think you are missing much there. But do give some thought to how you use your talents to help others and give back. And try to stick with an activity, club, sport or job you like, long enough to reach a level of responsibility. That’s really the point.</p>
<p>Or, if you cannot go to college abroad, you can always attend U Missouri, a CSU or a college that has an auto-admit plan for which you are eligible.</p>
<p>I agree with the original poster. Having a leadership position is great, but NOT having one shouldn’t disqualify a candidate. </p>
<p>At my high school, there are over 1300 students per graduating class, and many of them are amazingly ambitious. I know one kid who got a 2300 on the SAT in the <em>seventh</em> grade, and two more who got very close. I was one of several kids solely at my middle school who got over 1800 - and we were one of the less competitive middle schools out of the 7 that fed into my high school. All these are the kids who were and are still being pushed by themselves (and possibly more so, by their parents) to be in every single club, excel at music, do speech and debate, perhaps join the swimming team, and to make straight A+'s. I’m not trying to be insulting or to stereotype, but 95% of them are Asian. I am an introverted (white) girl who was told by my parents to do what I want, and that’s what I did. I tested out a few clubs the first few weeks of school, and I only joined the ones I liked, and only tried out for leadership positions when the club actually meant something to me. But guess what - that’s not what the other kids were doing. I applied for a leadership position in the French Club and had to run against 30 other kids, most people who also were running for Student Council president, NHS President, debate club president, and more. Worst of all, the teacher decided that she “couldn’t choose” and held a vote. Of course, I didn’t win, but I continued to be a part of the club, unlike most of the other candidates who did not win the election. The kids that ended up winning didn’t even end up devoting much attention to the club - they just wanted to have the title for their r</p>
<p>If you are really worried about colleges not admitting you because you were not necessarily a leader, that could be a good essay topic. You ould write about how you always helped, even if it was from the sidelines, or how despite not being in a leadership position before, you have agreat urge to do so. You could explain it all, because thats what the essays are for, to demonstrate things the college cant see from your application.</p>