Passion projects are becoming more and more common to be seen on college applications. So much so that admissions are asking about them in interviews. Passion projects showcase your interests, passions, and your initiative to create change outside of your school or extracurriculars. This is a way for college applications to see what you are excited enough about to pursue. Let's break down what exactly a passion project is, and what it looks like.
What is a passion project?
Simply put, a passion project is an activity outside of school or work that is important to a student, involving work and effort put into it. This could be organizing an event for a cause that you are passionate about, starting a business with a talent you posses to bring in extra income, or even simply conducting a research experiment in your house on something you found interesting to test.
What is the goal of a passion project?
The goal of a passion project is for students to discover their own personal interests. Having a passion project looks great on college resumes as you start applying, but as the name implies, it should be something you have passion for. It should not be something you find tedious or boring, but rather a project you are enthusiastic to pursue. This makes for more of a compelling addition to your resumes compared to a project you did because you had to. It's why colleges pay close attention to these additions, since they were not given to students academically, rather students started this on their own.
What is the impact of a passion project?
This leads to the impact of a passion project, which is two-fold. Taking the initiative to incite change in your community demonstrates to colleges your drive and motivation to see real world impact. This is the first impact: that the community around you can be influenced in a positive way through your passion. Second, this is a key characteristic that college admissions looks for in their potential students. Colleges want students who are future leaders and self-motivated to achieve their dreams. Thus, having a passion project can also impact your chances of admission.
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