<p>This has probably been asked before, so I'm sorry if it has.</p>
<p>What does it say to colleges if an applicant is passionate about something but really talented at something else?</p>
<p>IMAGINE, for instance, that I get good grades in English classes, but I'm EXTREMELY good at math (and I have credible accomplishments in the field), yet I desperately want to major in literature. Does this look good because I have a wide range of talents, or bad because I'm not going to be utilizing my strengths?</p>
<p>Aha, you made me laugh. Here is a rhetorical question for you: what makes you believe that adcoms want you to utilize your strengths? Just because you are good at math, you don’t need to become a mathematician. Just because you have an excellent vocabulary, you don’t need to become an author. It is entirely up to you what you want to do, and it actually can indicate not a wide range of talents but at least more than one.</p>
<p>@SheenR, what makes you think adcoms don’t care whether you’ll be rich and/or famous in 20 years? They want to gauge your future development. If the disparity in skill is large and the difference in passion moderate, it may be worthwhileto go with the one you’re more skilled in. Often, colleges use achievement in a field to vet your stated passion.</p>
<p>This is a strength, not a weakness. Remember that most college students change their major twice or more often, so what you think your plans are now may not be what they become after a semester or two.</p>
<p>I would think it would count in your favor, provided you’re at least competent in your area of passion. I have a friend who was an English major with an 800 math SAT. Now he writes computer games for Bioware.</p>