Photo by Joel Muniz on Unsplash
Almost every student in the US is bound to encounter the word “Passion Project” at least once in their 4 years of high school, whether it’s coming from their parents, their teachers, college counselors, or even their friends discussing what “Passion Project” they want to start.
When simply Googling the word “Passion Project,” almost all the top results display websites and studies titled “Passion Project Ideas for High School Students.” As more students and counselors realize that community-focused, self-directed initiatives can help them stand out from their peers, starting a project is becoming a top priority for students aiming for an Ivy League or other top-ranked college.
However, when it comes to starting a passion project, college admissions shouldn’t be the sole motivating factor. As the pressure to impress colleges grows, the meaning behind these projects is beginning to shift. Traditionally, passion projects were intended to support underprivileged communities or address issues students genuinely cared about. Yet, if students are beginning these independent studies with the primary goal of getting into college, it diminishes the value of what it means to genuinely care about helping others.
Not only can developing passion projects with the intention of checking off a box to get into college affect your community, but it can also affect how colleges view your applications. As these service projects are becoming more and more common upon applications, it could eventually arise into something “normal” and deflate the value of true activism.
With so many similar projects, it’s also becoming difficult to identify whose projects are driven by passion and which are simply copied from online idea lists. According to Top Tier Admissions, passion projects are about personal growth and learning, and if students are just taking another person’s ideas from a website, they aren’t growing as a person or demonstrating any reflection on their moral character.
Although it may not be the case for all juniors and seniors in high school, it’s not uncommon for students to “drop” their projects the moment their college admissions results are released. Over time, this trend can ultimately leave a negative impact on their community, leaving more harm than intended.
Despite some students beginning projects without a genuine purpose, families and communities are still receiving some form of benefit from these startups. If students simply drop them right after their college applications are submitted or they receive an admissions letter from their colleges of choice, these communities are potentially at risk if they have been relying on these student-led projects, whether it was because they were given opportunities to receive food to feed their families, or if underprivileged students were given the chance to perform labs in science or receive academic tutoring and support. What becomes of the communities that student leaders purported to serve once they take off to the colleges of dreams?
The stress of college admissions is growing rapidly, and passion projects are becoming the norm for students all around the globe, but it’s for the wrong reasons. Students shouldn’t be starting these projects just to get into college. Rather than practicing in an empty practice just to pad their resumes or college applications, they should be encouraged to have a genuine purpose and drive to their projects. They should also be pushed into continuing their projects for more than just a short-term period, as the entire concept of a “Passion Project” is not to benefit the founding student but to serve others.
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