Jump In by Megan

Jump In by Megan - March 2015 Scholarship Essay

The first thing they teach you in high school is the rules and regulations; basically how things are going to go around there. They emphasize how important it is to follow the rules, stay out of trouble, and to go with the flow. They make this first thing seem like the most important thing for you to know, especially on that first day. What they don’t tell you, however, is that the second thing they teach you is just as, if not, more, important than the first. The second thing they teach you is to get involved.

While joining a few clubs in order to build up that resume may seem like a simple task, how you get involved will shape how you will develop as a person. If someone signed up for several different clubs and organizations but they did not get really involved in them—I’m talking signing up for every volunteer opportunity he can—then he will not be getting anything out of the clubs. While all of these different clubs may look good on college applications in hindsight, what college admissions is really looking for is leadership qualities.

Leadership is essential not only to the college experience, but to life in general, as problems will arise when a leader is needed to take charge in order to formulate a solution. Leaders are a necessity to college life because it is through leadership that students make friends, form relationships with professors, and ask for help when it is needed. Although there are different types of leaders, each one is as important as the others and all are needed in order for things to go smoothly. Even shy introverts can be leaders if they need to be, but that skill needs to be developed in high school.

How does one hone in on his leadership skills? The simplest answer is to get actively involved in clubs that he is passionate about. While it may seem impressive that a student is involved in twelve activities at school, if he is simply signed up for them and only attends about three meetings a year for each, that doesn’t have as much substance as it could. In order to sound more impressive in your college applications, it is all about quality, not quantity. If you are only involved in four activities, but of those activities, you are president of one, secretary of another, and are actively involved in the other two, then it is much more noteworthy for the college admissions.

But why is it important to have leadership skills in college? This attribute makes for a well-rounded student, and everyone will take notice if you have the courage to get actively involved in your college campus. Not only will this tip off professors and other students, but it will make your college experience much more worthwhile. After all, you can get involved all you want, but if you aren’t having fun, then what is the point? These leadership skills that you learned in high school will help you to enjoy your four short years in college.