Finding your "passion"

Parents Forum
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<p>I know several students from my S's senior class this year who are, in fact, truly talented in multiple areas. They were all accepted by more than one of the selective schools to which they applied. I wouldn't say their "lack of hooks" was itself a "hook"... but I would say that their true talents and (oops, here's that word again) passion for the things they were good at showed through in the activities they were involved in, the extent of their commitment to those activities and pursuits, and the way they were able to "tell the story of themselves", as well-rounded young people who were fascinating composites, likely to continue to pursue diverse yet meaningful interests in the future.</p>

<p>jasmom said it so well: What is the story that is you? If that story integrates several disparate interests, and you are comfortable in that mode and can present it coherently, well... what could be better?!</p>

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<p>One of my kids had a "passon" one didn't. The "passion" kid was the one I worried about most: he gave up socializing, music, organized sports, all for his passion. It started in 6th grade. I was so worried and annoyed; I remember standing at the top of the basement stairs hollering at him to stop his passion (sorry I can't name it; he could probably be googled). I wanted him to be more normal. Even when he went on to national ranking in his passion I worried. He's 21 now, and I still worry! </p>

<p>My D was well-rounded. Social, outgoing, accomplished (but not at an extremely high level) in several areas. I don't really worry about her.</p>

<p>But guess what: the "passion" kid got into the Ivies; the well-rounded one didn't. She got a wonderful education at an LAC instead. </p>

<p>The Ivies do come down in favor of passion. I think they believe that in all those weirdoes there will be another Bill Gates or two. Makes sense, I guess.</p>

<p>But here's what's important: (1) Passion can't be faked. You can't fake that nuttiness, so just be yourself. And (2) You can get a wonderful education, and get a wonderful job and have a wonderful life without an Ivy education!</p>

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<p>Just to clarify, since many of us are using a term yet perhaps using it differently, in my definition, passion /= nuttiness. I'm not thinking "single-minded tunnel vision", I'm just thinking something that moves and drives you and is clearly something you are strongly committed to.</p>

<p>Although someone with a single-minded tunnel vision approach to their specialty certainly can be said to have a passion for it! :)</p>

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<p>I remember hearing a variation on the nickname advice which one could use to focus the application. At some point in the way past, there was a thread which suggested that adcoms noticed kids who could be refered to in a thumbnail way as the adjective-noun kid. My S played trombone, and liked astronomy. He emphasized both in his app in various ways, so he could have been the "star-gazing trombone player". Seeing it that way gives you a way to focus so that you aren't just one of the astronomers or one of the trombone players. Don't know if it's really valid, but he definitely emphasized those two things, and got into his reach school, (neither interest, btw, was he at any earth-shaking level of. He just liked them both.) So you could be, for instance, the horseback riding photographer, as one example.</p>

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<p>A phenomenon I see on CC, however, is the multitude of students who know that top schools look for the kids with "passion". So they try to create it. I even saw a post recently where the student was asking basically if someone could recommend some good passions for him to develop so he could get into an Ivy. Maybe you can't fake it, but it sounds like there are a whole bunch of kids who are willing to give it a try.</p>

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<p>hayden: I've seen that too. I guess then they'll just get screwed by the interviews. :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>Having a lot of passionate, intense interests is fine by me. The danger, though, is that one can come across as superficial and shallow if one can't back up one's "passions" with some significant understanding and/or deeds. If one can talk confidently, knowledgeably and animatedly about, or have done, fascinating things in multiple fields, great. If not, then IMO it would be a mistake to portray oneself as interested and passsionate about many things.</p>

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<p>ThisYearsGirl AND Willow...I can totally relate to your posts. </p>

<p>When I first started to learn about the college admissions process when my first kid was starting on it, all I heard about was how selective colleges wanted kids with a passion or hook and if it was unique, even better. But that D was just like you girls. She was passionate about several things. This is like what one mom wrote on this thread...a happy medium. She did not have a superficial laundry list and she did not dabble. She was immersed in several areas and had been since very young and she was truly passionate about these several areas. She did not specialize but she did achieve in all these areas, often at the state level. She never was willing to give up one of her passions. It did not matter what colleges were looking for. This is who she was. And I kept reading about how the well rounded kid was no longer in vogue with selective admissions. Oh well, that was her, and nothing was gonna change it. </p>

<p>Like others advised, she did package her application to show her qualities. ONE of her qualities WAS her well roundedness. Willow wrote: "Do you think it would be possible to make a hook out of a lack of hooks- i.e., if one was truly talented in multiple areas, make that his or her hook?" My D did not make that her "hook" but it was ONE of the attributes about herself that she emphasized. While I agree with Blossom's post, I had to smile at this one line: "once you start describing yourself as a 17 year old renaissance man, the adcoms start to snooze." The reason I am smiling is cause one of my D's essays, the one that dealt with all these sides of herself that she had....the whole multiple interest thing...she actually titled "Twenty-first Century Renaissance Woman"! I hope they did not snooze but she did get into almost all of her selective schools, lol. This particular essay showed who she was and if well roundedness was out, she did not care. </p>

<p>But anyway, you CAN have passion in more than one thing. That was what she was like and still is. </p>

<p>My second D also grew up well rounded...doing many of the same activities that the older one did. But by middle school, she wanted to give up some of her activities, even though she liked them because she wanted to focus in on her lifelong passion in the performing arts, with particular attention to musical theater. This was NOT a passion she "developed". She was passionate about it from preschool onward. I have recently reread her narrative preschool evaluations that spoke to this very passion and prediction about her future endeavors (all of which came true). So the passion was set young and just kept on growing and growing. So, her EC resume really spoke to several areas of involvement but they all related to this singular passion (there were different aspects or branches to this passion, however). I did not see her experience as any more passionate or better than the first child (had I been an adcom either). Just two different approaches to a young life. One knew what she wanted to do and the other knew she wanted to do several things. Her college major and career was not set in stone. Her younger sister's college major is specialized and her career aspirations have not wavered for years. </p>

<p>As it goes in Chorus Line...my younger D is a "singular sensation"...but my older D is a multiple sensation, lol. And you girls on this thread sound like my older D. I would not worry that you don't have one singular sensation. Make your apps come alive to show your strengths, interests and attributes. If you have committed deeply to them and have achieved in those areas, I don't care if it is four areas or just one. If some adcom sees it differently, who cares, I mean you are who you are. Frankly, I believe solid kids like you guys are gonna get in if they have several passions they are devoted to. My D did and so can you. Don't change. </p>

<p>And by the way, on the "uniqueness" factor, I don't think any of the activities my kids did were unique or unusual. I don't care either. They chose to be immersed in activities they loved. I don't care if many kids do these sports or arts things. They made THEIR mark doing what THEY loved. I think this meant something to colleges. They may not be unique but they showed passion for their interests (either one or many) and achieved within them. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

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<p>You have about 15 minutes (maybe less) to make an impact on the person reading your admissions file. Your grades, rank and scores are statistical and objective. Sometimes these are so good that your application just flies into the admit pile; for most kids however, it's the intangibles that give it wings. In the few minutes that the adrep has to get to know you, your persona has to shine. Who are you? What will you contribute to the college community? </p>

<p>There are basically four ways to flesh out the personality of the applicant: interview (if the school offers them), essays, recommendations and ECs or talents. All of these should contribute to the point of differentiation, should enhance and reinforce your persona.</p>

<p>Packaging always sounds mercenary, but in fact that's what you're doing in your application. You are marketing the brand that is YOU. Putting your abilities, experience, talents, interests in a compelling and striking format so that the adrep will pick your package off the shelf among so many others that are statistically similar. </p>

<p>Basically, colleges like interesting kids who do interesting things. Your activities don't need to be worldclass, earth shattering, unique or quirky. You just have to convince the adrep that whatever it is that you devote your time to when your not pounding the books is something that not only interests you a lot, but is actually part of your persona, part of who YOU are.</p>

<p>As far as having a wide range of interests -- well good! Colleges love kids whose brains are exploding with ideas and are open to stimulus. It's your responsibility to present this wide range of interests in a way that is comprehensible to the adrep in that precious 15 minutes. Find a common theme that ties your activities together-- for example, the arts, helping people, analysis, fixing things. </p>

<p>I, personally, like the idea of activities packages as supplements to the list on the application. More than one is okay, but 2 or 3 are plenty. These packages, your essays, your recommendations should all reinforce the image that you want to leave in the readers mind. A two or three word handle helps. For my son it was Artist/Boy Scout from Asia. It doesn't need to be that specific. Intellectual, which is general as it gets, could be one of the adjectives. Give them a handle to hold on to.</p>

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<p>Momrath, and others, I certainly agree with you about multiple interests. You said it well, but allow me to give a "case study."</p>

<p>I didn't know about CC when my oldest was applying to schools ... ignorance is bliss! He just graduated from UPenn, and when I think back on his "passion", I realize he didn't stand out in one area like my second child did (with music.) If I had known that kids were supposed to "present" a certain way, I may have encouraged him to try to highlight a select few activities. As it was, we didn't know any better, so he listed his "Outstanding Performer" on piano, his Governor's school for latin, etc. In his essays and "long answer" questions, he wrote how much he wanted to go to Penn BECAUSE of his many interests, and how Penn could allow him to focus on his beloved major without excluding everything else.</p>

<p>I believe that what came through in his application was his passion -- for learning! He is not an athlete, but other than that, his interests were wide-ranging. He loved languages, drama, music, airplanes, science fiction, physics, writing, travel, Ultimate Frisbee, .... Even with his jobs -- everything from library aide to landscaping.</p>

<p>Since colleges try to balance their student population, it doesn't make sense to think they only want single-minded students. In my experience, there are many, many highly intelligent people who are able to be interested, knowledgable, and capable in several things at once.</p>

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<p>Momrath, you brought up an excellent point. Before my kids tackled their applications, they did a brainstorm of themselves of what their strengths or attributes were...like describing themself. Then they took these points about themselves and tailored the application to speak to these descriptions.....the resume, the "why X College", the essays, the recs (they told the rec writers what things they were emphasizing about themself on their own part of the application), and so forth. While my older kid did not have a singular passion, she knew her attributes. ONE of them was her well rounded self. One essay dealt with that. The resume showed those many passionate interests. She had other attributes and interests as well but just mentioning that particular one as it is the subject of this thread. </p>

<p>Binx, funny but my multiple interest D also got into Penn, lol. She did not have this one singular hook. She even was awarded the Ben Franklin Scholar designation. I think there are "trends" in college admissions but not everyone FITS the trends. One trend is to have a singular UNIQUE passion (she didn't). Another trend on CC for elite schools is to have super high SATs (hers were high but not in the stratosphere in the combined). To me, it is the whole package. She also articulated to Penn and to every school, why she wanted to attend that school specifically and how her interests dovetailed to what she'd be doing on their campus. So, I encourage the two young women on this thread who fit a similar profile, not to worry that they do not possess one singular passion but as long as they are commited and passionate about a few things, to articulate those and to define who they are and make that message come across in every facet of the application. When the reader is done the essays and done the application, he/she should be able to describe, in a few words, just who the kid is. If "well rounded interests" is one of those descriptions, so be it. </p>

<p>Susan</p>

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<p>It was like pulling teeth to get my son to talk about himself at the beginning of the college application process. And yet, that careful personal assessment formed the basis of his essays and prepared him for his interviews. What eventually shown through was a thoughtful young man who had a good sense of who he is, where he's headed, what he'll bring to the campus environment, and what he hopes to gain from attending college x, y, & z. He, too, had/has several passions. But he took the time to understand them as parts of a coherant whole. It was a very valuable process.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
I'm not thinking "single-minded tunnel vision", I'm just thinking something that moves and drives you and is clearly something you are strongly committed to.

[/quote]
I'm with Mootmom again ... a passion is something gets you energized and brings out your best when you talk about it ... some people are narrow to their single passion ... some have one main passion but do lots of other stuff ... and yes it's quite possible to have more than one passion. What is it that is going to make you great to be a neighbor on a dorm floor? </p>

<p>While in college thanks to my friend's passions I learned about lacrosse, bowling, swimming, and polo ... as well as theatre, frats, different types of music, hiking, ultimate frisbee, and dungens and dragons ... and a bunch of other stuff. Thankfully the world is full of interesting people who would love to include you in their interests (passions) ... and schools want these people in their community.</p>

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<p>thisyearsgirl-- there is some wonderful advice on this thread & I will pack it away in my "save" file for future reference with my kids. You seem very articulate to me with plenty of passion.......my only advice is to continue doing what you are doing because that IS your passion. In the bigger context, i.e., over a lifetime, IMHO it is MUCH more important to focus on doing what you realy enjoy with the people you enjoy & love. The college process, albeit important, is just one part of the journey. Communicating your interests and "passion" is a critical skill in that process, but don't alter your pursuits just to attempt creating a better resume. Best of luck & I am sure you will do well.</p>

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<p>I thought of one other point, that has been made overtly and covertly on this forum again and again. That is, "to thine own self be true." In other words, you will be happiest at a school where the "fit" is great. If you offer a misleading or skewed application, then the school doesn't have the right information to know if the fit is there.</p>

<p>Sometimes we focus so much on "getting in at all costs" that we forget that the goal is really a great education at a comfortable fit that leads to happy ever after...</p>