Monica, our counselor in our Plano, Texas office, spent four years as an admissions officer at Harvard. And the first thing she would ask every student she interviewed was:
“Tell me about your favorite class.”
She was looking for something that made the student light up. It didn't matter what the subject was. She genuinely wanted to find out what made this student tick academically.
But many students, including those who were Harvard-level high achievers, struggled to answer that simple question.
Academic achievement is always impressive because it’s evidence of a work ethic. But when a student doesn’t have a favorite class, can’t name a favorite teacher, and genuinely doesn’t seem that excited about learning, it’s often a sign that the student is achieving more out of a desire to go to a famous college than he is from a genuine intellectual curiosity. When achievement comes without enjoyment, a college can only wonder if that work ethic will suffer once that student gets his admission prize.
Don’t forget to show colleges what and how you like to learn. Maybe you give your best performances in your favorite subject. Maybe you take classes during the summer to learn what you don’t have time to learn during the school year. Or maybe you teach yourself to play guitar, fix computers, or paint landscapes. Whatever it is, follow that interest and enjoy yourself while you’re doing it.
You’re not going to love every class you take. But if everything you’re learning feels like an obligation, it’s a sign you might need to make some changes.