Passion projects for high schoolers are a great way to learn new skills, gain confidence, and delve more fully into your interests. They are also a great way to showcase your strengths and extracurricular interests during the college admissions process. 

As evidenced by the class of 2026 college acceptance rates, college admissions standards are becoming increasingly competitive. Therefore, if you want to attend a highly-selective college, you’ll need to find a way to stand out from your peers. A passion project is a great way to accomplish this. In fact, according to a study conducted by Acceptitas, more than 75% of current Harvard students included a passion project as a part of their college applications. 

That said, what are passion projects, and how do you design one? In this article, we will discuss the definition of a passion project, how to start a passion project, as well as the advantages of completing one in high school. We will also provide a comprehensive passion project ideas list to help you start brainstorming for your own project.

What are the benefits of completing a Passion Project?

First off, what is a passion project for students? A passion project is a project that high school students design and complete outside of school. These projects should be fairly ambitious and often require extensive planning and self-reflection. Ultimately a passion project allows you to challenge yourself, develop new skills, and gain confidence; they can even help give you a sense of purpose and community. Since passion projects are not a high school requirement, completing one shows your passion, dedication, and ability to take initiative. Ultimately, these projects can help distinguish you from your peers when applying for jobs, internships, and college. 

Designing a Passion Project: steps to help you get started

First off, what is a passion project for students? A passion project is a project that high school students design and complete outside of school. These projects should be fairly ambitious and often require extensive planning and self-reflection. Ultimately a passion project allows you to challenge yourself, develop new skills, and gain confidence; they can even help give you a sense of purpose and community. Since passion projects are not a high school requirement, completing one shows your passion, dedication, and ability to take initiative. Ultimately, these projects can help distinguish you from your peers when applying for jobs, internships, and college. 

01

Identify your passion

You should feel excited to work on your passion project. All projects have challenges and we can’t promise that you’ll enjoy yourself every step of the way, but it’s important to complete this project because you genuinely care about it and not because you feel obligated to. That said, the first step to completing a meaningful passion project is to find out what you’re passionate about!

02

Come up with a mission statement to help guide your project

Your project should be organized and purposeful. One of the best ways to help keep you on track is to come up with a mission statement. That way, you can periodically refer to your goals, values, and objectives as outlined in your mission statement. 

03

Set goals for yourself

Set manageable goals for yourself. Not only will this help you stay organized, but it will also inspire you to maintain your momentum. 

04

Identify what resources you will need

Once you’ve come up with your projects, identify what resources you will need to be successful. For instance, if you want to start a podcast, you will need to decide what kind of recording equipment is best suited to your needs. 

05

Reflect on what you need to learn for your project to be successful

Passion projects are a great way to learn new skills. Take time to identify what you will need to learn to be successful. You may want to consider finding a mentor or setting up informational interviews with community members who can help you. For instance, if you want to start a community garden, you may want to reach out to local farmers for advice. 

Questions to ask yourself as you begin

The first step to knowing how to find a passion project that’s meaningful to you is to reflect on your interests, talents, and values. In other words, self-reflection is key in designing your passion project. 

Let’s take a look at some questions you should ask yourself during this process. As you review these questions, write down your answers so you can reflect on them more fully in the weeks to come. 

  • What extracurricular activities do you enjoy?
  • Which high school classes have been your favorites?
  • What types of careers might you be interested in pursuing in the future?
  • Have you had any meaningful volunteer experiences?
  • Are there any social, political, or environmental issues that you feel passionately about?
  • If you could change anything about the world, what would it be?
  • What are some of your passions and interests?
  • What are some of your natural talents and strengths?
  • What is something you would like to improve on?
  • What is something you’d be interested in learning more about?
  • Do you enjoy leadership positions?
  • Do you prefer to work alone or within a group?
  • Do you enjoy fundraising and organizing events?
  • If you could give back to your community in some way, what would that look like?

Now that you’ve reflected on your interests, talents, and values, it’s time to start finding ways to combine them. The most meaningful, impactful passion projects will likely combine your answers. To get started, review your answers and identify repeating details or themes. 

For example, you may find that many of your answers address your love of storytelling and helping others reach their goals. If this is the case, you may want to find ways to include a teaching element in your passion project. 

Passion Project ideas

Now that you’ve started to reflect more on your interests, let’s take a look at some passion project examples. Use these examples to help you start brainstorming about possible topics. These passion project examples may even help you decide how to present your passion project when the time comes. 

  • Start a small business
  • Develop an app
  • Organize a fundraising event
  • Write and direct a short play
  • Write a novel or collection of short stories
  • Start a community publication, such as a school newspaper or literary magazine
  • Start a blog
  • Start a band and write an album
  • Learn to build an instrument
  • Design your own video game
  • Paint a community mural
  • Start a mobile library
  • Start a community garden
  • Create a bioblitz
  • Design and conduct a scientific research project
  • Start an apiary
  • Hike the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide Trail, or the John Muir Trail
  • Become a certified yoga or fitness instructor
  • Build your own tiny house
  • Start a food truck
  • Build a boat
  • Train a service dog
  • Join a political campaign

Key takeaways and moving forward

Passion projects for students can play a key role in holistic college admissions. This is because passion projects demonstrate a student’s ability to think critically and creatively while in pursuit of their extracurricular interests. Top colleges want to admit passionate, capable students eager to make a difference and enrich their communities. This is especially true if you have Ivy League aspirations. 

Including a successful passion project as part of your college application can help demonstrate that you are capable of meeting and exceeding these standards. As you begin planning your passion project, keep in mind that the best time to start a passion project is during summer vacation. Starting a passion project is one of the most productive ways to use your summers in high school. 

If you are interested in pursuing a passion project but don’t know where to start, reach out to learn how we can help you reach your high school and college goals. 

Highly-selective colleges and universities often require supplemental application materials. These materials help further personalize the admissions process so that each college’s admissions committee has the information it needs to select a vibrant and diverse incoming class. 

In this article, we will look at 10 supplemental essay prompts from top colleges and universities for the 2022-23 admissions cycle. Once you get a better sense of what to expect from a supplemental essay prompt, we will outline key strategies for answering these prompts, as well as provide practical writing tips to help you get started.

What are supplemental essays and are they important?

Each college has its own sets of values and criteria that it looks for in applicants. This is why determining college fit is so important. By carefully researching each school on your college list and having several clear and compelling reasons for wanting to attend, you will increase your overall chances of admission.    

One way that colleges gauge whether or not a student would be a good fit for their university is by posing unique supplemental essay prompts. This is why knowing how to write a supplemental essay is so important. Most colleges with supplemental essays will have applicants write the “why this college” essay. 

Many selective colleges will require additional supplemental essays as well. In some cases, you will need to prepare an additional five essays per school, so give yourself plenty of time to complete each essay thoughtfully, write multiple drafts, seek out feedback, and proofread. The college application process can feel overwhelming at times, so make sure you brainstorm ways to stay organized during the college application process. 

Although the style and content of the actual prompts can vary greatly, at the core these prompts have one thing in common: They are designed to get to know who you are as a person, what your values are, and whether you demonstrate compatibility with the university’s overall mission. 

How to write supplemental essays

If you’re looking for supplemental essay tips, you’ve come to the right place! In this section, we will discuss how to write a good supplemental essay, by providing several key application essay tips. 

To start, it’s important to remember that the process of writing supplemental essays is similar to the process of writing a successful personal statement. Review components of a strong personal statement to give yourself a fresh perspective before beginning your supplemental essays.

Tips for writing supplemental essays

Supplemental essays are typically pretty brief. This is why it’s important to learn how to write concisely and powerfully. Having very few words to respond does not mean that you should prepare your responses casually or that your responses shouldn’t include lots of details. Rather, approach each word limit creatively. Whether you have 50 words, 200 words, or 500 words, try to use each sentence and detail to your advantage. One of the best ways to do this is to begin by freewriting. Write down everything that comes to mind. Take time to fully flush out your ideas. Then review what you’ve written and see what feels most important. These are the details you will want to highlight in your response.

Some colleges will require three to five additional essays. Maybe even more! This is why it’s important to be prepared and plan ahead. Supplemental essays are an important part of your college application and they require a lot of time and effort. While some supplemental essay prompts may be similar between schools, in general, you want to avoid recycling your college essays. Admissions officers can tell when a student is tweaking an existing essay to fit a prompt.

While some essay prompts are required, others are optional. In general, try to answer each prompt thoughtfully and creatively. After all, it’s no secret that college admissions are highly competitive so it’s great to give your application “an edge” whenever possible. That said, there are times when you should pass on writing an optional essay. If you’re not sure whether or not you should submit an essay for an optional prompt, begin by drafting a response. Then ask yourself if the essay feels forced or genuine. Does the essay convey something new about you that isn’t included in the rest of your application? If the question doesn’t seem to apply to you and you are genuinely unsure what to contribute, you should probably skip that particular essay. After all, no one wants to read an uninspired essay that doesn’t contribute to your overall application.

2022-23 supplemental essay prompts

As mentioned, supplemental essay prompts can vary significantly. Some prompts ask you to respond in 50 words while other prompts ask you to respond in 500 words. Some prompts focus on academics while others ask you to reflect carefully on your cultural upbringing or life philosophies. Still, other prompts will ask you to introduce who you are as a person or discuss something that you enjoy.

Just as supplemental essay prompts vary in style, your responses will also vary. Some prompts will require you to be thoughtful and serious, while other prompts may encourage you to be humorous or creative. It all depends.

Brown University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Brown University requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Columbia University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Columbia University requires the following supplemental materials: 1 list of 75 words, 1 list of 125 words, 3 essays of 200 words each, and 1 short answer of 35 words. One of their supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Dartmouth College supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Dartmouth College requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Duke University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Duke University requires at least one supplemental essay, with the option to submit an additional two supplemental essays. One of the optional supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Emory University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Emory University requires two supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Harvard University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Harvard University requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

MIT supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, MIT requires five supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows:

Princeton University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Princeton University requires three supplemental essays and three short responses. One of the short-answer prompts is as follows:

Stanford University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Stanford University requires three supplemental essays and five short answer responses. One of the short-answer prompts is as follows:

UPenn supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, UPenn requires three supplemental essays. One of the supplemental essay prompts is as follows: 

Yale University supplemental essay prompt

As a part of the 2022-23 college applications, Yale University requires the following supplemental materials: 1 list; 6 short answer questions; 1 additional short essay of 400 words. One of the short answer prompts is as follows:

Supplemental essay examples

One of the best ways to prepare your supplemental essay responses is to look at successful past examples. In this section, we will look at three examples and explain why each response is successful. 

Example #1

This first example was submitted as a part of Harvard’s college application. This essay is in response to the prompt: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (50-150 words).

Feet moving, eyes up, every shot back, chants the silent mantra in my head. The ball becomes a beacon of neon green as I dart forward and backward, shuffling from corner to far corner of the court, determined not to let a single point escape me. With bated breath, I swing my racquet upwards and outwards and it catches the ball just in time to propel it, spinning, over the net. My heart soars as my grinning teammates cheer from the sidelines.

While I greatly value the endurance, tenacity, and persistence that I have developed while playing tennis throughout the last four years, I will always most cherish the bonds that I have created and maintained each year with my team.

This essay uses rich, descriptive language to evoke a clear sense of movement and place. The first paragraph shows a creative and expert control of language, whereas the second paragraph uses straightforward language to highlight key characteristics. Overall, this response is creative, well-balanced, and uses each word to its advantage. 

Source: https://www.collegeadvisor.com/essay-guides/harvard-university-essay-examples-and-why-they-worked/ 

Example #2

This essay was submitted as a part of an MIT college application. The supplemental essay prompt that it addresses is: Describe the world you come from; for example, your family, clubs, school, community, city, or town. How has that world shaped your dreams and aspirations?

We were moving away from my home of thirteen years to go miles and miles away, from my whole life. Worst of all: away from New York City – the only place in the world worth knowing – or so I thought.

The town might as well have been called “Miniscule Ville”. I resented every second of it. The real shocking thing to me was almost that anything existed outside of New York City. NYC is a world of its own, with its own pulses and lifeblood. I still think it’s a great place, and I’ll likely at least visit it someday, but right now, I want to visit everywhere.

My move humbled me. I began to love nature walks, the friendly camaraderie of the small town, and saw a world I never imagined. I thought I knew it all just because I lived in New York. Here was a great place, hidden from view. I loved experiencing that new world, learning local history, and most of all, learning the life stories of my new neighbors, each one of whom had a fascinating life.

My greatest dream is to be a journalist, covering other countries, and learning about new worlds and neighbors. My old perspective feels so limited. If I can share global stories, I can open up my perspective, and I can share those stories with a thousand homes so readers can learn about other perspectives as well. The world is full of different lives. Everywhere is somebody’s home.

This essay covers a lot of material; most impressively, it shows a shift in perspective and its effect on the student’s lived experience. It also clearly explains the student’s academic and professional goals. The tone of this essay is both confident and humble. It demonstrates who this student is as a person, what their goals are, and what they value.  

Source: https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/mit-supplemental-essay-examples 

Example #3

This essay was submitted as a part of a Duke college application. The essay addresses the prompt: What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good?

Most teachers who taught me talked a big game about wanting students to engage in debate, or “dialectic” as they called it, and to challenge their ideas. In my experience, most of this was a fabrication. The best essay grades and participation marks were found through parroting what was dictated from on high. Did the teacher think such-and-such is the “correct” interpretation of a novel? You did, too, or you lost points.

None of that was true for Ms. Jackie Winters. The first essay I sent her came back with the note, “This doesn’t sound like you; it sounds like me.” I asked her about the note, and this initiated a marvelous learning environment, in which I grew faster than I ever have in any other class.

Discussions were lively, and the more I presented my authentic views, the more I was respected. My grades were dependent on being backed up by rhetoric, sources, and logic, not by compliance. Due to this engagement, this was the most enjoyable English literature class I had, and I feel like my viewpoints were challenged. I learned to question my ideas and dig into a text for the best results.

Best of all, I was putting in more and more effort to find good, quality sources to back up my arguments. I was held to a high standard and shown respect, and I believe that those qualities made for the best learning environment possible

This essay clearly shows a shift in perspective and the effects it had on this student’s ability to think, speak, and write critically. Structurally, this essay uses an anecdote to introduce and contextualize a topic, but the essay itself isn’t overly narrative. Rather, the student explains, in detail, how this teacher’s encouragement and guidance have influenced their willingness and ability to engage with the source material and academic discourse.

Source: https://bemoacademicconsulting.com/blog/duke-supplemental-essay-examples 

Key takeaways and moving forward

Supplemental essays are an important part of your college applications. In fact, they are a key factor in what college admissions officers look for in an applicant. Highly-selective colleges and universities use supplemental essays to further personalize the college admissions process. After all, thousands of qualified students apply to Ivy League institutions each year and only a small fraction are admitted. Supplemental essays allow you to share more about who you are as a person and as a student. Use each prompt as an opportunity to add something new to your college application. If you feel like you could benefit from professional guidance throughout this process, reach out to learn more about our services.

Frequently asked questions and answers

Still have questions about supplemental essays and the effects they have on college applications? Review the following frequently asked questions and answers for further insight on supplemental essays.