Showing "passion" on an essay

PengsPhils
Fri, 13 Jun 2014 18:11:51 +0000

Writing an essay on debate when you are this involved is NOT cliche. You have plenty of activity here to show this side of you, and I think at least mentioning it in your common app essay would be crucial. The link to Philosophy is certainly there and can make this major related if you spin it right.

Colleges will care if you can show how you plan to use the tools you have developed in your academics, not simply that you do debate. Essays are supposed to give the reader an image of you and your abilities, and I think debate could be a great way to tie in strengths related to philosophy and even other academic areas you feel the skillset has helped you in.

As far as showing “passion”, merely centering around it and showing an advanced knowledge obviously gained beyond the classroom shows how committed you are to it, and that you truly care. That will do the job.

One final note: While you can center around this, make sure to show SOME other side to yourself. While colleges don’t mind specialization, they may mind if it is the only thing your app reflects.