Giving Your Leadership Skills a Boost: For Visual and Performing Artists
You've probably seen a section on a college application that asks about your leadership experience — the Common App's Activities List, a supplemental essay prompt, or a question during an interview. Leadership is one of the qualities admissions officers actively look for in every applicant, alongside responsibility, time management, dedication, and hard work. For visual and performing artists in particular, leadership is one of the most effective ways to demonstrate character, initiative, and depth of involvement beyond raw talent.
Why is Leadership Experience So Important?
Colleges aim to do more than educate their students and hand them a diploma — they want to graduate people who go on to lead in their fields, whether that's a concert hall, a design studio, or a film set. Admissions committees are looking for evidence that a student already has the instincts and initiative leadership requires, because that's a strong predictor of how they'll contribute to campus life, ensembles, and student organizations once they arrive.
Because admissions readers spend a limited amount of time on each file, leadership stories that show real, specific impact stand out far more than a title alone. A student who writes “founded and grew a chamber music series from 3 to 40 attendees over two years” or “revived a defunct step team and led it to its first competition” gives the reader something concrete to remember. A resume line that just says “President” or “Club Founder” with no further detail asks the reader to fill in the gaps themselves — and they often won't.
Leadership is demonstrated in a multitude of ways — not all of them flashy or attached to an official title. Admissions officers ask themselves questions like these while reviewing an application:
How has this student made lasting change to their activity through leadership?
Where has this student inspired others through their attitude or example?
How might this student bring that same spirit to our campus?
Participating in Clubs and Activities at School
It's great to be involved in a lot of activities, but colleges want to see that you can go deep, not just wide. Consider taking on a leadership role — founder, president, treasurer, or section leader — within one of the organizations below. The specific title matters less than what you actually accomplish in it: a treasurer who rebuilt a group's fundraising strategy or a section leader who mentored underclassmen through their first competition shows far more leadership than a title with no story behind it.
Performing Arts: Music, Theater, & Dance
A Cappella/Glee Club
Chamber Orchestra/Pit Orchestra
Chorus
Jazz Ensemble
Marching Band
Music Production Club
Pep Band
String/Percussion Ensemble
Dance Team
Drama/Musical Theatre Club
Hip Hop Club
Improv Club
Latin Dance Team
Set Design/Tech Production Club
Sketch Comedy Club
Stage Combat Club
Stage Crew
Urban Dance Team
Visual Arts
Anime or Comic Book Club
Broadcast Club
Calligraphy Club
Ceramics Club
Cinema Club
Figure Drawing Club
Filmmaking Club
Origami Club
Painting Club
Photography Club
Video Production Club
Woodworking Club
Participating in Activities Outside of School
Leadership doesn't have to live inside a school club. Community and independent involvement can carry just as much weight — sometimes more, since it shows initiative that wasn't handed to you by a school structure.
Audition for a role at a community theater or summer programs.
Apply to music competitions or summer festivals and camps.
Apply for local and national competitions.
Volunteer to organize a music program, an art show or do improv at a nursing home
Volunteer at an art gallery or museum.
Self-Directed Activities
If there aren't any clubs you want to join at your school — or you're not interested in starting one — consider a self-directed activity instead. These are personal projects where you have full freedom to build something of your own, and they often make for the most memorable application material because no one else will have the exact same story.
Performing Arts
Teach lessons. Offer private or group lessons for students of all ages in instrumental or vocal music, dance, acting, or improvisation.
Perform live online—gain followers through Reddit, Twitch, TikTok, or YouTube.
Volunteer as section leader in a community marching band.
Volunteer to lead or assist in leading a music-based youth group.
Visual Arts
Start a photography or film business. Offer your services for senior photos, engagement, or wedding photos; Create an online portfolio & market your business.
Teach art lessons. Offer private or group lessons for students of all ages.
Start your own channel on YouTube or TikTok.
Design graphics and logos for businesses and events. Offer to design posters and websites for school events or clubs.
How to Talk About Leadership on Your Application
Where you describe your leadership matters as much as what you did. The Common App Activities List gives you just 150 characters per entry, so lead with the outcome, not the title: instead of “President of Photography Club,” try “Grew club from 8 to 35 members; organized first student gallery show.” If you're applying to arts programs that require a supplemental resume — common for BFA, BM, and conservatory-style applications — you'll usually have more room there to describe a leadership role in a full sentence or two, so use that space to explain the specific problem you solved or the initiative you started.
Recommendation letters and interviews are also leadership opportunities in disguise. If a director, private teacher, or club advisor can speak to a specific moment — the time you reorganized a chaotic rehearsal schedule, or stepped in to direct a scene when the original student director dropped out — ask them to include it. And if a leadership experience doesn't fit neatly into an essay prompt or activity slot, the Common App's Additional Information section is a reasonable place to describe it, as long as it's genuinely additive rather than repetitive.
Common Leadership Mistakes to Avoid
The most common mistake is waiting until junior or senior year to chase a title. Admissions officers read thousands of applications a year and can usually tell when a leadership role was acquired late and mostly for the resume. Leadership built gradually — starting freshman or sophomore year, even in a small or informal way — reads as authentic because it shows sustained commitment rather than last-minute positioning.
The second mistake is collecting titles instead of building a story. Five club titles with no real detail behind any of them is weaker than one deep leadership experience with a clear beginning, challenge, and outcome. Admissions committees are looking for depth and continuity, not a long list of roles you technically held. When in doubt, choose the one or two leadership experiences you can describe most specifically, and let those carry the weight.
Contact Best Fit Education if you are looking for advice on boosting your leadership skills for your college applications.
