Real Life “Hook” examples

[Anonymous]

Hoping to get a better picture of what some real niche or bespoke “hooks” actually look like?

Subject matters, interests or area of focus that are Not recruited athlete/ legacy/ donor/ child of faculty (or obv URM or FG).

Any examples this crowd can share?

[Anonymous]

Youth Poet Laureate for a state

[Anonymous]

If you are #1 in the country in an obscure activity (e.g. rubiks cube solving, disc golf, ping pong) would that be a hook?

[Anonymous]

Having a special talent isn’t a hook. It’s legacy, large donor, athletic recruit, urm, first Gen, and pell eligible

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are #1 in the country in an obscure activity (e.g. rubiks cube solving, disc golf, ping pong) would that be a hook?

No

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hoping to get a better picture of what some real niche or bespoke “hooks” actually look like?

Subject matters, interests or area of focus that are Not recruited athlete/ legacy/ donor/ child of faculty (or obv URM or FG).

Any examples this crowd can share?

My understanding is that none of these are classified as hooks.

[Anonymous]

Good luck with your thread, OP.

I think if the hook is something that can/will contribute to the campus experience. So something like World Champion Solitaire player might not be a strong hook. But world champion poker player might?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having a special talent isn’t a hook. It’s legacy, large donor, athletic recruit, urm, first Gen, and pell eligible

I dont agree.
Unique interests which kid has been involved with over a long period of time used to be considered a hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having a special talent isn’t a hook. It’s legacy, large donor, athletic recruit, urm, first Gen, and pell eligible

What about faculty kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are #1 in the country in an obscure activity (e.g. rubiks cube solving, disc golf, ping pong) would that be a hook?

Do they have it on campus? Do they need more members? Maybe…

[Anonymous]

Be forewarned that you have about 6 hours before your thread turns into a gripe fest.

Anything that is seen as both uncommon and generally beneficial could be a hook. So being a great chess player is good but being a famous chess YouTube vlogger is probably better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Having a special talent isn’t a hook. It’s legacy, large donor, athletic recruit, urm, first Gen, and pell eligible

Winning a contest could be considered a hook depending on which contest and the school. Even academic contests count more to some schools than others.

Having a parent who is a celebrity or a top executive at a company of interest to a school could also count. Celebrities are like free advertising and are potential large donors (as opposed to a current large donor.) Senior execs at certain companies are also potential large donors, and also potential employers of students.

[Anonymous]

What about having an uncommon interest for a 17-year-old kid that has manifested itself in multiple different entrepreneurial endeavors?

No school EC for this interest tho.

[Anonymous]

Traditionally, in admissions world, hook refers to recruited athlete, URM, legacy, development case. Hook does not refer to interest.

OP, what you are referring to is sometimes referred to as a "spike" though there may be other terms as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Having a special talent isn’t a hook. It’s legacy, large donor, athletic recruit, urm, first Gen, and pell eligible

Winning a contest could be considered a hook depending on which contest and the school. Even academic contests count more to some schools than others.

Having a parent who is a celebrity or a top executive at a company of interest to a school could also count. Celebrities are like free advertising and are potential large donors (as opposed to a current large donor.) Senior execs at certain companies are also potential large donors, and also potential employers of students.

Yes if it’s a savvy school where career services and admissions are actually coordinated.