Are You A Student Leader?

The magazine Leadership for Student Activities NHS & NJHS edition contains a great article with tips for getting into college by maximizing your application process.  The author, Mark Sklarow, notes that colleges and universities are facing a growing list of increasingly competitive applicants and are choosing students whose "collective skills and interests will create an entering class that reflects the academic, social, and cultural mix they want to see on their campuses."  They are looking for student leaders who will bring new and creative ideas and leadership to cultural clubs, academic societies, sororities and fraternities, service organizations, etc.

So how do you show off your skills as a student leader without bragging?  Here are some tips:

• Approach your adviser well in advance.  You can request a recommendation as early as junior year or earlier if either you or your teacher is leaving the school.  But remember that your adviser is busy, so give lots of lead time.
• Give your adviser a list of your activities and the projects you worked on, and share information about what you've discovered about yourself, your fellow students, and your school through  your involvement in school activities.
• Show colleges what you've done in high school, but remember that they are even more interested in how you will use your knowledge, training, and experience to make their colleges a better place.  Look for opportunities in your essay and interview to discuss where you hope to be involved on campus.
• Demonstrate a deep and passionate involvement in a few things.  Colleges are unimpressed by students who dabble in 15 activities.  Rather, they are thrilled with teens who discover what they love to do, get deeply involved, and accept more and more responsibility as the years go by.  Demonstrate how that genuine passion has shaped you as a person and a student leader, and you'll make admissions hearts flutter.
• Bear in mind that different types of schools view their candidates differently.  Small liberal arts colleges see it as their mission to view students holistically, and they spend serious time reviewing essays, letters of recommendation, and talking with students, as well as considering transcripts and scores.  Big state universities have less time and are often driven by data, but students with a genuine story can stand out and convince an overwhelmed admissions counselor to stop and take notice.

Letters of Recommendation are a key way to display this information to admissions committees.  Consider carefully who you would like to write you a recommendation.  Teachers, counselors, administrators, mentors, employers, etc. are all great people to ask -- you want someone who knows you well.  Make sure you chose someone who is able to write a letter that will highlight your accomplishments; convey information about your skills, abilities, and unique talents; provide specific examples of your leadership experiences and your greatest successes; and can write these things honestly. 

Source: Mark Sklarow, "Getting In: An insider shares tips on the college admissions process," Leadership  for Student Activities, vol. 42, no. 3, November 2013.

*Mark Sklarow is the CEO of the Independent Education Consultants Association, a national organization representing school and college advisers who work independently from school settings.