<p>Among the many personality traits that Ivy Leagues are looking for are motivation, passion, initiative, and drive. My question is, what are students “suppose” to be motivated by? Money? Curiosity? Parents? (definitely not the first one).</p>
<p>I don’t think Ivy leagues search for a single source of motivation in students, but rather for motivated students in general. </p>
<p>For my understanding, motivation is more of a “whatever floats you boat” kind of thing. So, the question shouldn’t be “what am I supposed to be motivated by,” but “what moves me?” </p>
<p>I am not sure if I was very clear… But what I mean is that motivation is personal, and each student should have their own source of motivation.</p>
<p>What I mean is, there are good and bad motivators. I, like most other people, am motivated by mmoney and fame. But I know it sounds really bad to say that I am motivated by money.
Is recognition consider a good or bad motivator? I like to make something and then show it off to my peers and teachers.</p>
<p>IMHO being motivated by recognition is somewhat shallow. A more interesting story to me would be one in which someone started a project based on the motivation of recognition and ended up with so much satisfaction from the project itself that recognition was ultimately irrelevant or not very relevant</p>
<p>Perhaps motivation in this context is being used in a more general sense. As an example I would refer to a recent thread on the Cornell forum by a high school senior wanting to know how badly they can do senior year without having their acceptance revoked. I submit that this student is fortunate to be no anonymous because that question represents the antithesis of motivation. The Ivy’s are filled with students who would be mortified by substandard performance. The reasons for that motivation are as diverse a the students who attend. The reasons are as diverse as the definitions of success in our society.</p>