From sports teams to school clubs to volunteer groups and beyond, high school students have ample opportunity to explore their interests and get involved in community organizations. This participation is important, not only for a student’s personal growth, but it also plays a major role in college applications.
Admissions officers, especially at selective colleges, look closely at the depth and breadth of a student’s commitments. Colleges value leadership because it signals that a student will contribute positively to their campus community by dedicating real time and energy. Admissions officers reviewing applications will expect to see students take on meaningful leadership roles within their extracurriculars by the time students reach their junior and seniors years of high school. Leadership isn’t just a nice bonus on an application; it’s one of the clearest indicators of initiative, responsibility, and impact.
So, what does leadership actually look like for a high school student, and how can they develop it in ways that feel authentic and meaningful?
1. Explore, explore, and explore some more to find areas of strength and interest.
Grade 9 and early in grade 10 are the ideal times for students to see all that is available at their school, in their communities, and beyond. They should attend information fairs for clubs, ask older classmates about their involvement, and most importantly, try out experiences for themselves. They should attend meetings or events of clubs that seem interesting, volunteer for local non-profits making a difference in their community and think about the subjects they enjoy and what could be unique ways to show strength through competitions, contests, or research.
2. Know when to let go of some activities.
This is by far the hardest part for high school students once they get toward the end of grade 10. Admissions officers know that students cannot dedicate all their time to every activity, so while the quantity of activities may remain high, the quality of their involvement lessens. Students can’t do every single activity they might want to do well, and by the end of grade 10, they should be identifying their core involvement areas and begin planning how they can make bigger impacts in the final two years of high school.
3. Recognize that leadership can take many forms.
Many students make the mistake of assuming leadership only consists of being president of the student council, founder of a school club, or captain of a sports team. Although these areas do demonstrate leadership, there are other ways for students to show they have developed leadership skills. For example, someone who starts their own side business sewing sustainable clothing, or an athlete who creates a mentorship program for younger athletes in their community, or a musician who partners with a local music therapist to host events bridging the worlds of music and therapy-all show leadership.
4. Seize opportunities to become a leader.
Students should not wait for someone to recommend they run for a leadership position or expect that leadership will naturally come their way. They must look for opportunities, and if that doesn’t work, they should create their experiences that open the door to becoming a leader.
