Will lack of leadership negatively impact application?

Applying to College
1

I’m a rising HS senior with good stats and ok extracurriculars (300h of volunteer in 2 years, activities reflecting my personality well, nothing spectacular though) I’m interested in JHU, Tufts, Northeastern, U of Rochester and state flagship. While I’m fine with attending the state flagship, I wonder if lack of leadership experience will disqualify me from more selective ones like JHU or Tufts (meaning, should I even apply)

I came to the US from Asia almost 2 years ago during the second sem of my sophomore year. The rest of my sophomore year was spent easing into the new environment. I was involved in some club my junior year - no leadership though. That being said, I don’t want to start a club senior year just for resume padding.

Do you guys have any advice? Thank you.

2

Don’t stress over it. There are only so many leadership positions available.

And if the college only accepts leaders, who will be there to follow them? Doers are also important.

3

While colleges like to see leadership, they also like to see depth + passion in the extracurriculars, winning personalities, creative thinking, curiosity, and love of learning. So show the other faucets of your personality as best as you can and don’t overthink the leadership.

Congrats on 300 hours of volunteer work. That is a lot of effort!

4

Focus you application on highlighting what you HAVE done (ex. volunteering, adjusting to a new country) in the best possible way and don’t worry about what you haven’t done.

5

I do think they look for leadership…but are you sure you don’t have leadership? Have you not shown leadership in the 300 hours of volunteering? Have you not trained anyone? Have you not helped find new volunteers or scheduled them? Have you not offered ideas on the volunteering to the team?

Leadership can be President of a club or Captain of the Team or Section Leader in Band. But it can also be:
-Student involved in ethnic community center for years and then is asked to teach little kids
-Actual officer in a club
-Watched his little brother after school and encouraged parents to sign up brother for sports team and took him to practice
-Within a club, organized an activity for that club
-Lead a community service activity
-Lead singer of a band - sings, chooses set list, organizes transportation for other members
-Summer Camp counselor
-Boy Scout Eagle Award/Girl Scout Gold Award
-EMT Cadet
-Boys State/Girls State
-Tutors others