You might be surprised to learn how much a student’s passion matters to college admission officers. They know that students who feel passionately about something tend to balance other areas of their lives more effectively. These students are ultimately more successful, in college admissions and in life.
But when should your child start developing their passion? The best time to start is now. A child’s passion cannot be bottled up and sold. It needs to be nurtured and given space to develop fully.
Students often overlook things like baking, hiking and backpacking, cutting grass for neighbors, walking dogs part-time, singing in the choir, tinkering with electronics, following political campaigns, or writing poetry as potential passions. Believe it or not, colleges find these pursuits interesting!
In fact, in many cases, it is the student’s passion that is most memorable and stands out to admissions officers.
Our student Jane, for example, had a passion for helping underserved students in high school, and it really stood out to the Tulane admission office. We started working together during 10th grade. This allowed us to develop a rapport with her, and offer individualized guidance on selecting activities that would feed and amplify her passion for assisting students with learning disabilities, with college in mind.
We introduced Jane to Ashoka, a change-making organization, where she was able to share her idea of inclusion of children with learning differences with a broader audience. Eventually, she established an initiative at her high school that included Down Syndrome kids in the same classes as traditional kids. She fought for this right for these students, and she was on fire.
Jane was a model of the kind of student colleges really appreciate. She made her vision of equality for students with learning differences a reality, with persistence and hard work. Jane was accepted to Tulane, her top choice college, and won a significant scholarship in recognition of her service work.
Passion like Jane’s comes from the heart, from the soul. And a true passion is something that can be discovered and drawn out with the right kind of attention. When it emerges in a student’s application, colleges respond.
To learn more about how we can help your child discover or develop those passions, schedule a free consultation HERE.
One of my passions is reaching a broad audience through the public radio program I produce and host, Access College on KPFK 90.7 fm in Los Angeles. I invite you to listen to the Access College archive dedicated to “Finding Your Passion” by clicking HERE.
