<p>Colleges don’t need to see an undying flame of love for Keats or Latin or some academic pursuit. The most selective will be looking for a special, and if you’re not an athlete or a URM, you’ll probably need some sort of special or defined interest. This doesn’t have to relate directly to intellectual pursuits, however. You could have a 3.8 reached through following directions and be awesome at visual arts/writing/the French horn/whatever. Or you could have a 4.0 and genuinely enjoy nearly every class you’ve taken, reading Hemingway and Dickens in your spare time. The one with the active passion is more appealing than the “nerdier” one.</p>