"Passion" can lose its oomph when you see it used everywhere from corporate ad slogans to rated R movie reviews. But in college admissions, "passionate" describes an applicant who cares deeply about what he or she is doing.
Applicants who have passion aren’t just going through the motions to please colleges. You can hear it in the future English major's voice when he talks about his favorite authors and from the student who took college classes over the summer because she had to know more about physics. You can sense it from the trumpet player when he tells you about that one perfect performance, the student who volunteers at the vet because she loves animals, and the water polo player who rides the bench but still loves being on the team.
Applicants with this kind of passion are highly desirable in the college admissions pool. Sure, these students are hardworking, dedicated, and successful. But more importantly, they are interesting. Even if they choose not to continue their current activities once they get to college, they’ve already demonstrated that they have the capacity to care deeply about what they do to actually make an impact, and it's a good bet that they will continue to make that impact in college.
Instead of looking for things that colleges will appreciate, look for things that you will appreciate. If you enjoy them, follow that interest to a sensible extreme. And when colleges give you the opportunity to discuss those interests, don't hide how happy those activities make you. Passion like that is contagious.