OK, my apologies… it was 6 am and I had to get upstairs to get stuff done.
Back to the idea of leadership:
first and foremost, it takes all sorts of types to make up a society-- or the freshman class of a university. Sure, they want leaders. But they also want writers and musicians and mathematicians and physicists. Having evidence of incredible leadership abilities isn’t the golden ticket you seem to think it is.
And let’s talk about changing the world. Your generation has been gifted with the most remarkable tool in history-- access to the internet. A few years ago, my younger daughter wanted to help a family shelter in NYC… but she was only 13 and couldn’t really mount a big fundraiser. So she went online. She got a dozen or so different companies to donate to her cause. She wrote emails, she explained what the program did and who it helped, and she targeted companies that produced what they needed. The got donations of everything from toothbrushes to children’s books to towels, simply because a 13 year old kid asked them to donate.
After Superstorm Sandy devasted the NY/NJ coastline, my older daughter-- 13 at the time-- did something similar. She went online (we were in the very lucky 10% of Long Island that still had power) and asked companies to donate— water, blankets, clothes, whatever-- and provided them with addresses that could receive those donations.
You don’t have to be Mr. Popularity to make a difference. You simply have to give it some thought.
But honestly, I think the first step is to get that chip off your shoulder. Phrases like “good for nothing nerd” are offensive. I teach over 250 Seniors a day— I get a pretty good mix of types of kids. Each and every time someone posts a comment like that one, or like several others you’ve posted, it erodes the image of the kids who aren’t the guy you strive to be. It’s offensive. Not one of the “nerds” I teach is "good for nothing.
You are special. Everyone is, in their own special way. And it has nothing to do with leadership positions or which jobs you’re handed in a project or anything else. You’re at a crossroads in your life- it’s time to start to figure out who you are. Not who you wish you were or how you wished others could see you, but who you are and how you can make this world a better place.
And you can do that without a top 50 college. There are something like 3000 colleges in the US. So many wonderful people and wonderful experiences and wonderful opportunities for growth are taking place at the 2,950 schools you’re not even considering.