<p>Band is more enjoyable
I am more passionate about academic decathlon</p>
<p>I know it’s important to do extracurriculars which you are passionate about/enjoy for college, but what if you have to choose between the two.</p>
<p>Band is more enjoyable: I hate the band aspect(football games, concerts, rehearsals), but I get to be with my friends, and it’s a lot less work. The side benefits make it much more enjoyable and a lot less work, but I don’t really care about it.</p>
<p>I am more passionate about academic decathlon: it requires a lot more work, and I wouldn’t be with my friends, but as an activity it’s better</p>
<p>i would probably say passionate. because if you are passionate about something it would show through in your essay and allow the admissions people to be able to see the real you better</p>
<p>You’re “passionate” about academic decathlon, except for the fact that you think it is a lot of work, and you do not enjoy it as much as being with your friends in band. Do I have that right?</p>
<p>You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.</p>
<p>I think they just worded this oddly, you can enjoy something without feeling passionate towards it and you can feel passionate about something without enjoying it. Passion has to do with what you care about, you should enjoy things you care about but you don’t always.
Enjoyment + Passion = the best kind of EC</p>
<p>I am thoroughly confused at the distinction between being “passionate” about something and “enjoying” it. It seems to me that they would go hand-in-hand.</p>
<p>Passionate is to show strong feelings or belief for something
enjoyment is to take pleasure in
In a lot of cases they do go hand-in-hand but not always</p>
<p>you’re not passionate about academic decathlon.
if you’re passionate, then you wouldn’t have to pick. even if it was more work and you weren’t with your friends, you would do it. passion goes beyond enjoyment. if you ever actually felt it, you’ld know what I’ld mean. you’ld be prepared to give up almost anything for it.</p>
<p>Even then, academic decathlon seems like an odd object of one’s passion, doesn’t it? I mean, animal welfare, or disability rights, or whichever side of abortion you’re on, or the humanitarian crises in east Africa–I can see being passionate about those things. But, academic decathlon? Really?</p>
<p>I’ll admit that I’m picking on the OP’s use of the word passionate, and I’m doing it for reasons that are probably not entirely clear to him or her. I believe firmly that “being passionate about” something belongs in the College Confidential Hall of Overvalued Humbug, along with “upward trend” and “community service hours” and “ranking the Ivy League.” It’s true that many successful applicants to the nation’s leading colleges and universities are admitted because they are wholeheartedly devoted to a cause. But that’s not true of all of them. And that does not mean that every smart, ambitious teen in America needs to go out and decide what his or her passion will be, much the way a Miss America contestant has to decide on her platform.</p>
<p>You don’t have to be passionate about anything. It’s OK if, instead of passion, what you have is some outside activities that you engage in with dedication and enthusiasm, and you show some leadership or personal growth along the way.</p>
<p>I’ll say, furthermore, that I specifically don’t trust the OP’s use of the word *passionate *because he or she has said in another thread on this topic, “My goal from doing either of these is just to get into an Ivy League College,” and, “Which one is going to look better[?] My main concern is that colleges expect me to have a time-consuming extracarricular like Band.”</p>
<p>Hopefully Sikorsky’s note can bring some perspective to everyone. Again, not everyone needs to be “passionate”. Period.</p>
<p>Secondly, truly passionate people don’t even know what you’re talking about. They are passionate about something because they are passionate. Versus doing something in a devoted manner.</p>
<p>No one “does” passionate things. They “are” passionate people (and don’t give a flip what others feel about it – frankly they are oblivious to other’s praise because it means so much to them).</p>
<p>Yup. Adcoms aren’t looking for passion. In fact, if you look up the definitions, it’s pretty amusing. </p>
<p>They are looking for evidence of maturity, the ability to take on responsibilities and challenges and to deal with pressure. They are impressed by commitment, particularly over time. But, also a willingness to try new things. They like some evidence of perspective- the ability to step away from your own interests and comfort zone and do for others, one way or another.</p>
<p>Here, you need to “think like an adult.” They know that when you “found the pie club,” it’s not because you’re passionate about pies. You’re going to have to step back and see whether it’s band or academic competition that best represents the above. Both suggest skill, the ability to work on a team and that adults value your contribution. You’ll need to judge where there are any holes in your collected ECs and which fills them. I have run into kids who adore academic competitions, but they show this by recruiting, training and mentoring new members, coming up with new prep angles, etc. Show, not tell.</p>