Not so many years ago, the prominent narrative for college admissions was that well-rounded applicants fared the best. Many talented students took this to heart and joined every club, every honor society, and ran for every school or club election possible. Instead of cultivating one passion and pouring their energy into that, many talented students spread themselves too thin.

A shift in college admissions

In recent years, that narrative has shifted.  Now, colleges are searching for the “angular student”— the student with an exceptional talent or passion, whose extracurricular choices supplement this “angle.”

Colleges care less about students “checking off boxes,” and care more about particular strengths or interests that make students truly unique.  Every student who applies to selective colleges can join National Honors Society or Latin Club, but a student interested in studying chemistry who sought out a research opportunity in a lab?  That’s extraordinary. It shows that the student is passionate, a go-getter, and already has some experience in their field of interest.

Take your passion further 

Some students are so immersed in certain subjects that they find the curriculum in school to be surface-level.  They want to dig deeper. They want to become an expert. We recommend subject tutoring for these students. An expert subject tutor, majoring in your field of interest, can take you down the rabbit hole and guide you through more advanced topics. They can pass on their knowledge and expertise about how they took their passion for the subject to the next level— whether that means taking classes at a local college or community college, seeking out research opportunities, or finding internships in the field.  

If you have a student in Baltimore, consider enlisting the help of an expert tutor.  At Streamline Tutors, we employ 20-30 part-time tutors from Johns Hopkins University every year.  These students are at the top of their class and are studying anything from computer science to mechanical engineering to economics.  Studying with an expert tutor will allow you to take your passion one step further, explore advanced topics not covered in school, and enhance your “angle” for college admissions.