<p>I know that Brown looks for applicants who run with one or two specific interests that they feel invested in rather than a little involvement here or there. In ALL my essays, I talk about this ONE interest of mine, but wonder if this makes me look too narrow-minded. Should I try to elaborate on an activity related to a different interest, or if it’s not something I was truly invested in, would it seem random and sort of like it was just thrown in?</p>
<p>You might want to talk about something else, at least for one of your essays. Though it’s good to be passionate about something, you don’t want to seem like it’s all you do with your life.</p>
<p>Don’t waste words, repeat yourself from one essay to another. The same people will be reading all of them.</p>
<p>I also think that you should talk about other things in your essays. While it’s true that colleges may not be impressed with someone who belongs to 50 clubs, most students have more than one interest or activity or thing they enjoy. You may be passionate about debate, but also spend your summers as a camp counselor, and it makes sense to talk about that. </p>
<p>OTOH, there are kids who really are singleminded and devoted to only one thing. I think they are rare – but if that describes you, then be honest and have your essays reflect that.</p>
<p>Ok, for example my interest relates to my area of study, what I am most proud of, the extracurricular essay, and parts of the A,B, or C choice question. I combine this interest with another interest in the architect question, I talk about something completely different in the community essay, and have a few sentences about another interest in the A,B, or C choice question. My regular common app essay only mentions this “main” interest once. Is this sufficient?</p>
<p>That’s probably fine.</p>
<p>Where do you get the idea that Brown- or any top school- “looks for applicants who run with one or two specific interests that they feel invested in” - ? Somehow, you want to show you are open to a variety of experiences, have given energy to a range of legit activities. Not just pursued your own narrow interests. Maybe you have this covered under ECs. There are a few “outliers” who are attractive- kids who completely focused in one arena- but they are rare.</p>
<p>@lookingforward, uh, probably directly from those schools, which have lately been angling towards students who are “passionate about something specific” rather than just well-rounded. Last year during plenty of my college tours, tour guides and adcom members were saying things like, “It’s not true we’re only looking for well-rounded people. We’re also looking for pointy people!”
Not disagreeing with you, I think schools very much still want to see that applicants are doing a range of things and not just one thing. But it seems like they’ve been trying to attract kids who have one or two specific areas they’re really invested in lately.</p>
<p>^ I guess my reaction is because so many kids and adults throw out variations on “passion” as if it were the sole keyword. A poster on another thread recently joked that you could have a passion for video games. Some kids actually claim a passion for Harry Potter. Not much use to an adcom. </p>
<p>Better words might be direction, purpose, drive- words that suggest you see a valid path and are pursuing it, growing your experience, whether it’s about an interest, possible major or potential career. Smart enough to see opps and pursue them. But, supplemented by some “rounding.” Top colleges like when a kid shows the ability to branch out, try something new, support a cause, make a solid volunteer commitment, etc. Whatever it is, as long as it’s relevant, somehow. They need kids who can engage, experiment, etc, not just tunnel vision.</p>
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<p>Well said. </p>
<p>OP, remember that you don’t have to write your essays about extracurriculars, or about any one thing in particular. My GC called my Common App essay Seinfeld because it was “an essay about nothing.”</p>
<p>There are kids who get into Brown who are well-rounded, good at many things. There are other kids who have a laser beam focus on one thing. It’s impossible to second guess admissions, to figure out the secret recipe for success. </p>
<p>You are who you are. Don’t mold yourself in the image of what you think these schools want. Just make sure your application is an accurate reflection of you.</p>
<p>BTW, the word that Brown’s director of admission has used is “joy.” Not passion.</p>