Leadership Programs

First off, you’re going about this all backwards. Instead of trying to find leadership programs that look good to colleges, you need to be concentrating on programs that “light you up.” See: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elizabeth-dankoski/why-a-perfect-sat-score-c_1_b_9219184.html

Secondly, when colleges say they are interested in leadership, many students assume they are looking for captains of athletic teams, or presidents of student councils, or editors of newspapers, etc. And sometimes they are. But more often than not, as colleges are academic institutions, they are looking for leaders in the classroom. They are looking for students who not only contribute to the classroom conversation, but dynamically lead the discussion. They are looking for students who constantly raise their hands and have thoughtful opinions. They are looking for students who are respected by their peers and admired by their high school faculty. The are looking for students who will be remembered for a lifetime. Colleges are looking for your teachers and guidance counselor to confirm your leadership qualities in their recommendation letters with concrete examples. So it’s not about leadership in EC’s. In fact, my guess is that leadership in the classroom is MORE important than any leadership program you will find that you think will look good to colleges!