Hooks and abbreviations

[Anonymous]

Does anyone watch Dr. Hoffmann YouTube videos? On college admissions?

He had visuals up in his recent episode which showed a bunch of abbreviations:

R = recruited athlete
V = VIP
L = Legacy
What does M, A, F, Bu, P mean?

See the slate dashboard picture at 4:10 here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdGp0eC9tLA

[Anonymous]

AI says …

M = Minority (URM)
Usually refers to an underrepresented minority in college admissions context.
A = Academic standout
A top academic performer relative to the applicant pool (sometimes meaning exceptional stats or academic distinction).
F = First-generation college student
Neither parent has a four-year college degree.
Bu = Business / full-pay / budget positive (context-dependent)
In his mock committees this usually signals a financially advantageous applicant (full-pay) or someone aligned with institutional budget priorities. Some viewers interpret it as “budget positive.”
P = Priority / special institutional priority
Often used for applicants who meet a specific institutional need (geography, major, program fill, etc.).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AI says …

M = Minority (URM)
Usually refers to an underrepresented minority in college admissions context.
A = Academic standout
A top academic performer relative to the applicant pool (sometimes meaning exceptional stats or academic distinction).
F = First-generation college student
Neither parent has a four-year college degree.
Bu = Business / full-pay / budget positive (context-dependent)
In his mock committees this usually signals a financially advantageous applicant (full-pay) or someone aligned with institutional budget priorities. Some viewers interpret it as “budget positive.”
P = Priority / special institutional priority
Often used for applicants who meet a specific institutional need (geography, major, program fill, etc.).

Wow. That's insane. Did your AI app watch the entire video? Any other insights. I think this is truly fascinating and see the entire "school group" laid out on a screen shows you how they screen your kid compared to everyone else from the HS.

[Anonymous]

YCBK mentioned this YouTube video today!

“But I want to bring it to your attention because I think it's really relevant for you understanding what schools are doing right now. So this video is called Inside Class Shaping How Elite Colleges Finalize Admissions Decisions.
And it goes into what's going right now in the highly selective private schools in particular. And he describes stuff that's kind of seldom talked about, in terms of how the shaping process really works. I was actually looking at doing an in-depth interview on this podcast and how the shaping process really works.
But gee, this video is like so good. I feel like this is like what I would have wanted to cover with you guys. So I'm going to put the link in the show notes.
And I want to encourage you to check out his outstanding content.”

From Your College Bound Kid | Admission Tips, Admission Trends & Admission Interviews: Tips Every Athlete Needs If They Want to Play Their Sport in College, Mar 2, 2026

[Anonymous]

The video is very well done and does shed some light on what seems to be a very complex process. Makes me wonder why more institutions don’t lean in more heavily to ED. Yes, it probably benefits full-pay families but it does make things much more clear to both parties.

[Anonymous]

All of his videos are gold and I just stumbled onto them in January.

Not affiliated with him either and my last kid is still a year away.

[Anonymous]

I discovered him weeks ago and his college admissions videos are the most informative I've ever seen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I discovered him weeks ago and his college admissions videos are the most informative I've ever seen.

Same.

Has anyone used his private counseling services? I have a junior so I’m not quite there yet but it looks like he does a junior review? What does it entail?

He is so thorough and transparent that I wish other former admissions officers and counselors were.

[Anonymous]

His video yesterday is the best I’ve ever seen showing you what they are actually doing in committee right now and how amazingly qualified kids just won’t get in due to class shaping because of their major.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All of his videos are gold and I just stumbled onto them in January.

Not affiliated with him either and my last kid is still a year away.

same

[Anonymous]

He used to work at Vanderbilt and his video from this week basically explains how/why Vanderbilt converts those ED2 deferrals to admit and you basically have a very limited shot in RD (without mentioning Vanderbilt by name). It’s all about the enrollment management software and the percentages.

The screenshots he shows are awesome.

[Anonymous]

Interesting how he broke down the engineering majors in RD admit, focusing on MechE

[Anonymous]

Which other segments do you reccomend from his YouTube series?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I discovered him weeks ago and his college admissions videos are the most informative I've ever seen.

Same.

Has anyone used his private counseling services? I have a junior so I’m not quite there yet but it looks like he does a junior review? What does it entail?

He is so thorough and transparent that I wish other former admissions officers and counselors were.

PP here. I haven't and have never considered hiring a college consultant, but his prices seem reasonable. I'm also curious to hear any feedback on his services.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Interesting how he broke down the engineering majors in RD admit, focusing on MechE

I posted up thread that I am interested in him - I have a junior. Have older kids in college that did well in the process, but each year seems harder tbh.

I've watched most of his videos from this year - look on YouTube for the ones with the most comments - they seem to be the "HOT" ones, though all of them, I think, are good and frankly, better than almost any other former AO out there these days, which seem to peddle their services. It seems more like an infomercial.

I thought these were good:
Why Top Students Get Rejected: Inside a Selective College Admissions Committee
How Colleges REALLY Read Applications: Inside Committee-Based Evaluation (8-Minute Reads)
Inside the College Application Reader: What Admissions Officers See (REAL Walkthrough)
What Are “Hooks” & Institutional Priorities in College Admissions? | Insider Tips for Parents

He focuses on major choice in quite a few of his episodes when he showcases visuals of the Slate app. It's an underappreciated part of the AO review process and one to be mindful of.