I have tried very hard, and failed, to get leadership positions at my school this year. I am a sophomore. I applied for the Ambassador program, which I thought I would probably get into, but I was rejected, despite the fact that I’m a good student and have experience giving tours at the local museum. I also applied for two leadership positions in clubs (VP in both) and lost (and in one club, I have worked my butt off this year while the other girl pretty much sat around and did nothing). I am a member of National Honor Society and National Thespian Honor Society (and I’ve worked as Assistant stage manager/stage manager on some school productions), but I am an officer in neither. I am a VP in one club, almost got to State this year in Speech and Debate (and certainly will next year- ran for VP and lost), and I plan on starting my own club next year (of which I’ll be president) that focuses on service in the community that deals with encouraging kids to read. I’m also on a committee that chooses the school’s summer reading book (no officers in the club). I play no school sports, and I received no academic awards this year.
On the other hand, I’m pretty involved outside of the community. I am a volunteer at the local science museum with 600+ hours of service and a designated tour guide. I am on the exclusive Volunteer Council and have been nominated for the volunteer of the year award (10 nominees out of 1000+ volunteers). I earned the Presidential Service Award my freshman year and (while I fell 21 hours short this year), I plan on getting it again my junior year (and senior). I have attended a outdoor leadership camp for 7 years now and have earned the two highest citizenship awards there. I have hiked and backpacked about 350 miles in the summer since freshman year, and I will get more this summer and next. I am trained in basic outdoor first aid and am certified in CPR. I am a guild member of our city’s local theatre. I am taking a class at Oxford this summer on Shakespearean lit. I have earned my Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Award and am working on my Gold (creating a program for a local middle school that helps kids learn Shakespeare in a fun and interactive way). Through the club I am starting next year, I am going to spearhead a service project that unites various schools in my city in a book drive to raise books for kids in Africa.
I’ve done a bunch outside of school, but compared to other kids in my school, the amount of things I do in school is a bit pathetic. Are schools like Columbia, Brown, Northwestern, Barnard, etc. going to overlook my application because I am not president of a bunch of clubs or play school sports? I only have leadership in one right now (though two next year), and I’m afraid I won’t be able to get leadership positions in the others.
BTW my PSAT scores (haven’t taken SAT yet) are around 220 and I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA with 6 honors classes this year (out of 8, probably will have 5 next year because I might switch to non-honors pre-cal. I’m not a math person.)
BTW the hiking/backpacking is in Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. I have climbed several 12,000-14,000 foot peaks, including Longs, the Mummy Range, Chief’s Head, some in the Neversummer Range, etc.
It does’t matter if you are involved in or outside of school…as long as you are involved. My S’s most important EC was outside of school and it didn’t hurt him at all in terms of his college admissions.
Leadership doesn’t always come with a title. You don’t have to be "President’ or “Vice President” to show leadership. If you take charge of a particular project, that shows leadership as well. But in any case, I think your outside activities definitely show your leadership and involvement. Both of my kids did very well in their admissions – neither played a sport and most of their activities were in the community, not the school.
Typically kids confuse hs leadership titles with what leadership is really about. Take that long description and find the real leadership in it, where you took on responsibilities and had impact. See what really shows or not. Not president of some club or maybe not even starting your own for the title.
First, you need to get rid of this finger pointing I’m-better-than-her attitude because quite frankly, it looks immature. I certainly hope that in a year and a half when you are applying to colleges, you will be much more mature and understanding.
Having said that, you are still a Sophomore (I’m assuming that you are a rising Junior). You still have an abundant time to prepare yourself with activities, leadership positions, and passionate pursuits in and OUT of school walls. Just by your self-description, you are doing a quite of decent amount of work. Do not fret over not having one or two leadership positions.
Keep up the good work, and you will end up in a great school.
@viphan Obviously I would never write that on a college application. However, it’s quite true. In Speech and Debate this year, I went to 12 competitions, broke to semi-finals in every one and finals at about half. I made posters advertising the club, worked at bake sales, and organized our community service opportunity. The girl who won the election went to one competition (at which she complained and talked about how much she hoped she didn’t go to semi-finals so she could go home) and watched Netflix in a majority of the meetings.
See? You should leadership without the title. When you talk about your experience this way, they will see you as a leader more so than if you have some title with nothing to back it up.
I guess I don’t agree that hard work and being good at something equals leadership. Yes, that is part of it, but if you can’t get people to follow you, then you aren’t a leader. You need to look at why you didn’t get elected. Is it simply because you are a sophomore? At my D’s school they would never elect a sophomore over a senior for something, no matter how good she was. The theory is that its just not your turn yet. Or is there something else going on? If you feel comfortable, ask some others in the club why they think you didn’t get elected.
I know I’ve seen it here before, but I’m a bit leery of starting a club just so you can be president. If you get lots of people to join and stay and be active, then you are a leader, but if only your two best friends join, then no.
I do agree that it doesn’t matter if leadership is related to the school or outside.
@me29034 I didn’t get elected because a majority of the elections at my school are based on popularity and who writes the wittiest and funniest speech. The other girl was a sophomore. And I am not starting the club “just so I can be president.” My life practically revolves around books, and I’ve had the idea for this service project for years: to draw my entire community together in gathering books for kids who don’t have access to them. I don’t care how many people join the club. I will get my school to participate, and as of right now, the prospect of other schools participating is looking very good.