Anonymous
01/19/2026 17:37
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Anonymous wrote:We’re hearing a lot of pressure lately (from counselor and the general admissions chatter online) about needing to do something significant outside of school, clubs, and leadership in order to be competitive. Our daughter has a 4.0 unweighted GPA, a 34 ACT, strong school leadership, and solid activities — including being a camp counselor and completing an internship. Right now, she’s interested in Economics and Policy.
Sometimes it starts to feel like unless a student is doing research with a Harvard professor (joking… but only slightly), they’re not considered competitive for top schools.
In your experience, do students with profiles like hers still get into strong schools without needing to pile on something highly specialized or over-the-top outside of what they’re already doing well?
I’d love your perspective on what’s truly necessary versus what’s simply “nice to have.” Do only hooked kids with passion projects or published research get into top 20 schools?
If you are talking about great schools that will do a great job of preparing your daughter for her adult life, then you don't need a spike.
If you are talking about a school that accepts 2000 students but gets 50,000 applications, half of whom are valedictorians or salutatorians from the nation's 30,000 high schools (many high schools have multiple valedictorians) and include the 20,000 students that get a 1520+ on their SATs 30,000 student body presidents, 30,000 school newspaper editors, you get the idea. 4.0 is now too common to distinguish your child in that applicant pool. So it's turned into a bit of a lottery unless you have a spike.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 17:16
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Anonymous wrote:This board creates fear that is not grounded in reality. Your child sounds great. Kids like that get into top schools and do great things there. They also get into non-tippy top schools and do great things there.
Re: Passion projects. I hate the term. The trick is not to have a passion project, but to show passion. Given that your child has leadership experience and has completed an internship, I'm guessing they have a passion for something - and those tell that story.
Yes! Your kid needs to show their passion, but it does not have to be with a "passion project" whatever that is. I am not even sure what counts as a passion project. One of my kids started a literary magazine as their school. Does that count as a passion project? IDK but it showed passion. And more importantly, she really was/is passionate about it. She is now a happy English major at her college of choice.
The other kid went really really deep into one extracurricular at school with hours upon hours devoted to it and now has the top leadership position this year. Got into her college of choice too. I think this shows passion and again it was true passion not manufactured.
You can help your kid find their passion but please don't force something on them.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 15:33
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Your daughter sounds amazing. I think the issue is that there is so much grade inflation and strong test scores (due to accessible prepping), that it is hard for great students to differentiate themselves if shooting for a highly selective program or school. I think it can be helpful to dive deeply into a topic of interest outside of her regular school curriculum. I also hate the term passion project. But my kid took a summer college class in the area they intend to major, wrote a research paper as part of the course. And referred back to that class and paper frequently in her college supplemental essays. I think it showed some intellectual curiosity and intention behind her academic goals. This was not an expensive summer program -just a course from a well regarded university. Also, the course tied into her hs coursework, academic strengths, and was an authentic interest of my kid. Kid was accepted ed to a t20.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 15:29
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
It depends. How tough is your school, how many other kids have 4.0 unweighted? How advanced is the course work behind that 4.0?
See, similar questions can be asked about every single item you listed, and they all make a difference.
See, similar questions can be asked about every single item you listed, and they all make a difference.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 15:17
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Anonymous wrote:Stanford summer programs literally ask for your Passion Project and describe what it might look like. It’s disgusting. It has turned me off to Stanford totally.
Which Stanford summer program does this? Can you provide a link?
Anonymous
01/19/2026 15:08
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
yes
Anonymous
01/19/2026 15:07
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Anonymous wrote:What schools like HYPS are looking for is self-initiators—not kids who are merely following parents’ and counselors’ advice on how to get in. .
And parents who drive a good snowplow from the back seat so the kid can claim credit
Anonymous
01/19/2026 15:06
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Stanford summer programs literally ask for your Passion Project and describe what it might look like. It’s disgusting. It has turned me off to Stanford totally.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:15
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
What schools like HYPS are looking for is self-initiators—not kids who are merely following parents’ and counselors’ advice on how to get in. Your DD has the profile to get into a good school that is the right fit fo her. You might consider realizing that this process is not about you.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:09
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
Anonymous wrote:This board creates fear that is not grounded in reality. Your child sounds great. Kids like that get into top schools and do great things there. They also get into non-tippy top schools and do great things there.
Re: Passion projects. I hate the term. The trick is not to have a passion project, but to show passion. Given that your child has leadership experience and has completed an internship, I'm guessing they have a passion for something - and those tell that story.
It really depends what they are directly asking. An ivy isn't accepting an unhooked high stats kid with school leadership (let's say SGA or club president or captain) with an internship. Plenty of other schools will, though.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:08
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
"Passion projects" have jumped the shark, just as "research" and "starting a profit" are already old news in admissions.
Kid is better off getting a summer job.
Kid is better off getting a summer job.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:08
Subject: Re:passion projects and privilege and admissions
The above poster is correct. If you're looking at the very topped schools, yes, unhooked kids need something to stand out. Nearly all applicants have very high stats and are indistinguishable without something more. So I agree with the above: your kid will have some great choices but it depends on what she/you're looking for whether you will want those choices.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:06
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
This board creates fear that is not grounded in reality. Your child sounds great. Kids like that get into top schools and do great things there. They also get into non-tippy top schools and do great things there.
Re: Passion projects. I hate the term. The trick is not to have a passion project, but to show passion. Given that your child has leadership experience and has completed an internship, I'm guessing they have a passion for something - and those tell that story.
Re: Passion projects. I hate the term. The trick is not to have a passion project, but to show passion. Given that your child has leadership experience and has completed an internship, I'm guessing they have a passion for something - and those tell that story.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:06
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
At one place you talk about "strong" schools, but then later you change it to T20 schools.
There are many more than 20 top schools out there. Your daughter will have wonderful options, that may or may not include options ranked in the top 20. She doesn't need to change who she is, or what she's interested in, she needs to find schools that like kids like her.
There are many more than 20 top schools out there. Your daughter will have wonderful options, that may or may not include options ranked in the top 20. She doesn't need to change who she is, or what she's interested in, she needs to find schools that like kids like her.
Anonymous
01/19/2026 14:02
Subject: passion projects and privilege and admissions
We’re hearing a lot of pressure lately (from counselor and the general admissions chatter online) about needing to do something significant outside of school, clubs, and leadership in order to be competitive. Our daughter has a 4.0 unweighted GPA, a 34 ACT, strong school leadership, and solid activities — including being a camp counselor and completing an internship. Right now, she’s interested in Economics and Policy.
Sometimes it starts to feel like unless a student is doing research with a Harvard professor (joking… but only slightly), they’re not considered competitive for top schools.
In your experience, do students with profiles like hers still get into strong schools without needing to pile on something highly specialized or over-the-top outside of what they’re already doing well?
I’d love your perspective on what’s truly necessary versus what’s simply “nice to have.” Do only hooked kids with passion projects or published research get into top 20 schools?
Sometimes it starts to feel like unless a student is doing research with a Harvard professor (joking… but only slightly), they’re not considered competitive for top schools.
In your experience, do students with profiles like hers still get into strong schools without needing to pile on something highly specialized or over-the-top outside of what they’re already doing well?
I’d love your perspective on what’s truly necessary versus what’s simply “nice to have.” Do only hooked kids with passion projects or published research get into top 20 schools?