<p>Passion by it’s nature is a nebulous word. It’s life life: you can’t really define it, but you can certainly characterize it. You’re probably right in that it doesn’t apply to most seventeen-eighteen year olds. </p>
<p>However, those seventeen-eighteen year olds are not the ones at MIT. Sure, there are some that are far more passionate than others (or as you implied, exhibit stronger characteristics of passion… see [Anthony’s</a> story](<a href=“http://anthony.mitblogs.com/archives/2005/06/hello_im_anthon.html"]Anthony’s”>http://anthony.mitblogs.com/archives/2005/06/hello_im_anthon.html)), but for the most part, if you got into MIT, you’re passionate.</p>
<p>It varies for each person, of course. Some have strictly defined, well-developed passions (trains, in Anthony’s case), others have more broad, unexplored passions (for instance, one of my friends, MIT '09 enjoys aerophysics, and has done research at NASA, but still doesn’t know his niche).</p>
<p>Regardless, you need that passion. If it’s already matured, then MIT will help you reinforce it. If it’s just an inkling, MIT will give you what you need to turn it into something great.</p>