For a number of years now, “passion” has been a buzzword in college admissions. Having a passion is supposed to give an applicant an edge, and every summer and fall, I see students scrambling to find and articulate their passion as they begin working on their essays. This is a relatively new development; a decade or two ago, candidates were expected to be “well-rounded” and students would instead scramble to sign up for as many different clubs and extracurricular activities as they could fit into their calendars. Today’s emphasis on having a passion is more exacting — it requires early specialization, talent, time and often money — and can’t easily be faked.
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