How passionate should teenagers be about “passion projects”?

And now, for the alternative view…

The Passion Project Industry: How College Admissions Activities Lists Killed Intellectual Wonder — Minding The Campus

These ventures, often referred to as “passion projects” in the college consulting industry, are seldom started by high school students of their own accord—instead, parents, college admissions officers, and private college counselors alike, buying into “the passion project industry,” have collectively created the illusion that a sixteen-year-old student must spearhead the development of a corporation or change the world through non-profit work to succeed in the college admissions process—and later in the professional world.

Heading into high school with this mentality, many students will sink hours into half-baked projects created by their mothers or their college counselors instead of focusing on the most crucial aspect of their teenage years: intellectual and interpersonal development.

…instead of asking our students to spend their hours with projects that will sink to the bottom of the ocean faster than the Titanic, we should encourage students to explore their intellectual curiosities—through books, conversations with adults and peers, and real-world experiences. Perhaps, then, we will see a future generation refocused on intellectual thought and meaningful engagement with our fascinating world.

I didn’t really know about this passion project thing; but I now recognize having encountered its fallout. It’s not that there’s no value in the idea…but passion projects can be (and, apparently, have been) oversold.

Worse, I suspect the overselling arises not from innocent misunderstanding of student needs. If I make $$ helping students design passion projects, I’ll probably never meet a student who doesn’t “need” one.

As with so many things higher ed-related, buyer beware!