<p>I heard that colleges like Harvard look for passion instead of some random list of extracurriculars. I have a passion in music and am planning to show it through my essay. (It is also evident in my EC's) However, I haven't won many awards..How does this compare to being a world renowned musician? Which one improves the chances for admission? True passion in an area of interest, or winning hundreds of awards?</p>
<p>Who is John Galt?</p>
<p>Prefontaine: "Who is John Galt?"</p>
<p>Sorry, I just had to reply to that post.</p>
<p>But just to make the post relevant - I'll say something about passion.</p>
<p>Passion is pretty enigmatic to colleges to, I think. As 17-18 year olds, I don't really see how we can really develop that much passion. Sure, I like the certain hobbies with which I occupy my time, but is that a passion or a hobbie? Awards generally show participation, and participation in a hobbie shows commitment and to some extent, passion. If you haven't won many awards, your "passion" won't show up on your list. Therefore, the only way you can convey that is your really your essay (or I suppose you could try to get a 4.0 for passion on your transcript). So essay, essay, essay. Oh, and if your essay is good and shows passion, I bet that will help your chances on admission. Easier said than done - that's why I'm saying it instead of doing it (writing an essay, I mean). Best of luck.</p>
<p>John Galt.</p>
<p>Your passion must be conveyed effectively through your essay to the adcoms. Here's an excellent post on how to do that:</p>