What is a Passion Project?
The concept is simple, the purpose is deeply personal, and the execution is whatever you want it to be. When a high school student decides to take the initiative and pursue a genuine interest via an independent endeavor outside of work or school, they’re developing a passion project. This self-directed, extracurricular pursuit is characterized by authenticity; therefore, no passion project is the same, and therein lies the value of them. Not only do these initiatives allow students to develop important skills, but passion projects also invite young leaders to explore their emerging identities and enhance their college applications in the process.
How Do I Start a Passion Project?
The first step to getting started is very straightforward: identify your passion or interest. Don’t worry, there’s no way to get this wrong. Maybe you’re a writer who’s interested in creative storytelling. You could be a teacher at heart whose passion leads you to early childhood education. Or perhaps you’re a future journalist dedicated to revealing truths and asking all the right questions. Even if you aren’t passionate about anything in particular, you can still let your curiosity guide you on an exploration of a topic or question you’ve always wanted to know more about. Once you’ve narrowed down your focus, you can brainstorm creative ways to structure your project, which can take on many different forms.
Some students compose musical scores, design and create clothing, or write books, while others start businesses or test scientific hypotheses. While your passion project is allowed to be singular in focus–starting a blog, learning a new language–you should also consider crafting a multifaceted initiative that combines various extracurricular activities into one. The resulting project could ultimately demonstrate your ambition, creativity, and flexibility by synthesizing a range of skills and knowledge into a cohesive project.
For example, if you’re passionate about photography, why stop at just taking nice photos and posting them on Instagram? Sure, building a portfolio is a worthy endeavor, especially for graduating seniors. However, you could also commit to your craft by enrolling in a photography course, like our advanced research program, Language of the Lens: Photography and Visual Storytelling, to sharpen your skillset and learn valuable university-level research methodology. Then you could leverage your newfound knowledge and research findings to inform a special documentary project, which you would then promote on your newly developed photography website. That’s three self-directed, extracurricular activities–advanced research, photography, and website development–to note on your college application, all of which are focused on photography.
If the multifaceted approach doesn’t resonate with you, think about an interdisciplinary passion project that pulls on two or more distinct subject areas to create a fascinating and unique initiative. If you’re passionate about cooking, for instance, but plan to pursue a pre-med track in college, you could make a health-conscious cookbook filled with recipes that taste delicious but incorporate thoughtful ingredients that tackle inflammation, aid weight loss, prevent heart disease, and more.
How Do Passion Projects Enhance College Applications?
Students who pursue extracurricular passion projects routinely differentiate themselves among other college applicants by showcasing their personalities and taking the initiative to either make unique contributions to their communities or engage in standout experiences that encourage self-growth. This not only demonstrates leadership and intellectual curiosity, but it also denotes a willingness and ability to develop new skills and commit to something over an extended period of time, all of which are essential characteristics that admissions officers are looking for in potential students. Colleges and universities may vary when it comes to culture, reputation, area of focus, and so on, but there are a few universal traits that all top schools seek in applicants consistently.
It’s also worth noting that passion projects provide applicants with the perfect material for compelling college essays. Whether you pursue a singular focus, take a multipronged approach, or intertwine all the disciplines that interest you into a single concept, crafting a passion project is an excellent way to learn about yourself, enhance your college applications, and, most importantly, have some fun.