Is Passion More Important for Admissions Than Test Scores or GPA? | Voice of America - English
admissions-flickr-hoxaOne thing I learned when I was applying to U.S.
One thing I learned when I was applying to U.S. universities is that standing out to the admissions committee requires much more than good test scores. The most competitive candidates will all have well beyond average SAT and TOEFL scores, outstanding recommendation letters, and thoughtful essays. But even that won?t guarantee them a spot at their first choice school. So what can make your application special? I had good SAT scores, a decent TOEFL score and good grades, but I think what put my application ahead of some others is that I showed a passion. My passion has always been for social issues ? bringing people from around the world together to empower young people, and especially young women. Everyone has a passion, and when the admissions committee can see that about you, it makes you stand out. The trick is to demonstrate that passion in a way that admissions officers can actually see. Here are some suggestions of how to do that from my own experience. I have created a very simple (and free!) where I post various career opportunities for college students interested in international development issues. I did this because I thought that students with similar interests would find my website very useful, as it contained information from various sources and covered different aspects of a career in international development. At the same time, the website has been a place for me to express my professional interest. There are all sorts of small ways to regularly engage your passion. If you are a self-starter, you can create a blog on the issue that you are enthusiastic about. It is a good way to show your awareness and understanding of an issue, be it environment, gender equality, animals? rights or anything else. If you can?t think of anything you would like to devote an entire blog to, write blog posts for different nonprofits. For example, you can start a journal on , an online community for World Pulse, or submit a blog post to the , or write an entry for . If you enjoy writing, also try essay contests. A good one I recommend is organized yearly by UNESCO and Goi Peace Foundation, Japan. I wrote an essay about degrading environment in my home town and it was selected one of the twenty five Honorable Mentions some years ago. Another great essay contest is organized by the . But of course there are many more essay competitions out there. One of the coolest things I did was participate in debate club activities. I got involved because I wanted to learn the art of debate and diplomacy, strengthen my research skills, and raise my awareness about global issues. It ended up teaching me essential leadership skills. I also had great experiences representing my country at the  in Canada, acting as a  for Red Cross at the United Nations Conference of Parties in Mexico, and organizing a workshop at the  in Canada. There are a lot of other international student events to cater to whatever your interest may be. I found my opportunities using these websites that regularly list student events: For many students the cost of participating is a major concern, and organizers of many students? events are aware of this issue, so they offer scholarships and other types of financial aid to help you cover conference fees, the cost of accommodation and even travel expenses. I only applied for those events where some kind of financial aid was available, and I never had to pay for any of my international experiences! Some events I've looked into: his seems like the easiest of all the options, but actually I had a really hard time finding ways to volunteer. I remember in my home town I wanted to spend some of my time on volunteering for local nonprofits, but I just couldn?t find any! I eventually discovered a website called that listed online volunteering opportunities. The website search engine allowed me to search for opportunities by language, tasks, topics, and regions. So I translated documents for the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Moscow and looked for grant-giving organizations for the Community Breakthrough Support Mission in Kenya. Online volunteering was a very rewarding experience for me because I felt very involved. It gave me the feeling of making a difference. Of course, these are not the only ways to stand out on your college application, but if you have a passion for something, make sure you show it! Take time to think about your interests, your skills, and more important, your goals. Although it may be good to focus on one or two things at a time, I believe it?s important to not put all your eggs in one basket. Be prepared to try many times before you win and learn from