Passion? What passion?

bessie
Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:52:37 +0000

Just be honest and present your best side. Stop worrying about what they want and give them who you are. You might be surprised to find out that adcoms appreciate an authentic application from a real 18 year old. Put down the things you genuinely like to do. It doesn’t have to be some sanctioned group organized EC through the HS or anything like that. Heck, one of my son’s biggest EC’s was learning how to play different musical instruments in his bedroom. Obviously, anyone who would teach himself to play several instruments in a couple of years was very interested in doing so. Would he have used the word “passionate”? Probably not. Maybe you have read 100 historical novels or whatever, then just put down what you do with your time. They just want to get to know the applicant and telling them about what you do with your time gives them a way to go beyond gpa and test scores to know the applicant. Think of EC’s as a way to introduce yourself to the adcoms and try not to get caught up in making EC’s a competitive game. There are no “standardized” EC’s. Do what interests you.