I know that having a spike or specific passion is a good key to differentiate you from other applicants. However, I am struggling to find a way that I can develop mine.
As it relates to my interests I love debates, psychology, and learning about people’s experience/culture. However I do not know how to further dive into these areas of passion and how to build a resume based on them.
What competitions could I enter? What projects could I undertake? What extra curricular activities should I be focusing on? Where could I volunteer/intern.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Join speech and debate if you haven’t already! You may also really like politics. See if you can work or volunteer for local campaigns in the next few years. Politics involves all three of the things that you mentioned. Model UN might be a good pick as well.
Another good option might be journalism. If your school has a literary magazine or journalism club, join it- and if they don’t have one, be the founder of one.
There are really infinite ways that you can apply the things that you mentioned. Think about the difference that you personally want to make with those interests and go out and DO it! Email people that do it for a living, find mentors, produce work of your own.
Thanks so much for the response. Unfortunately my school does not have a debate team (it’s a really new school so it doesn’t have a lot of things) I was able to institute a model UN at my school and participate in it. But politics isn’t something that I’ve heavily considered but now that you mention it I don’t see why not.
Do what you love and do so greatly. Do not do anything simply to develop a “spike.” It comes naturally.