Is Irish dance a hook?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jesus. I get this about my ballet dancer too. She dances 20+ hours a week because she loves it. Maybe she’ll try to join a company. Maybe she’ll got to college. It’s not about the “end game.” She’s not doing it for colleges. She’s doing it for her.

Yeah well dancers kind of have to retire comparatively very young / become teachers / choreographers so there's that. Mind those hips!

[Anonymous]

My daughter is an Irish dancer…started at age 4 and competes at National and world level. She is the only Irish dancer in her high school class of 400. So while I don’t think it’s a hook…I do expect it will help her stand out from the dozens of soccer, lacrosse, baseball players etc. Being heavily involved in Irish dance also tends to involve teaching younger dancers and lots of community service (performing at nursing homes, parades etc) so it’s more than just competing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious because a family I know is heavily into it. Multiple 2-3 hour practices per week. Don’t know them well enough to ask what their endgame is so I thought I’d ask here.

not every activity is chosen just for the college resume

I agree with you but it seems you are preaching to deaf ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Anything that helps you stand out from the pack can be mildly helpful.

This. My guess would be that the kids in the family OP mentions just really love Irish dance and want to spend a lot of time on it/get as good as they can. Speaking as someone who did a different type of folk dance as teen, dedicated mildly stupid amounts of time to it and was never close to being nationally ranked. I started at 8, and it never occurred to me that it might be a college hook although it did actually end up helping — I wrote an essay about folk dance and robotics and someone mentioned it in a hand-written addendum to my acceptance letter.

Curious, which school?

MIT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just curious because a family I know is heavily into it. Multiple 2-3 hour practices per week. Don’t know them well enough to ask what their endgame is so I thought I’d ask here.

not every activity is chosen just for the college resume

I agree with you but it seems you are preaching to deaf ears.

In all fairness, this is a college admissions forum, not a life enjoyment forum.

[Anonymous]

DD dances (not a Nationals level but advanced) and was contacted by student dancers at Boston College and Villanova after she was accepted. Not sure it was a hook, but both clearly made note of her activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Only at Notre Dame.

Hahaha! Good one!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In parts of the northeast, doing irish dance is as normal as doing ballet.

Every club or activity doesn't have to have an "end game."

+1. It’s also big among the Irish Catholics in Chicago, too.

[Anonymous]

It's not a hook; it's a jig.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's not a hook; it's a jig.

Ha Ha! I see what you did there!

My DC was a NQ/WQ Irish dancer, now retired. She had a few unique supplemental essays that she was able to interject with some of her dance lessons/experiences. She did have a few schools, including a T20, mention her Irish dancing specifically along with her acceptance. I do think all the life lessons learned over a dozen years on the competitive circuit developed some desirable qualities in her that did help her stand out, but hook- no.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t think hook but doing anything with discipline and commitment will help your application not hurt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD dances (not a Nationals level but advanced) and was contacted by student dancers at Boston College and Villanova after she was accepted. Not sure it was a hook, but both clearly made note of her activity.

It’s not a hook at these schools. It’s pretty common. They’re just creating community, not acting on behalf of admissions.

[Anonymous]

You don’t understand what a hook is. A hook gives an actual admission tip - URM, recruited athlete, major donor, and at some schools legacy. Other things make you stand out but they aren’t hooks in a true sense. Irish dance if you are wining national competitions may make you stand out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don’t understand what a hook is. A hook gives an actual admission tip - URM, recruited athlete, major donor, and at some schools legacy. Other things make you stand out but they aren’t hooks in a true sense. Irish dance if you are wining national competitions may make you stand out.

Sorry - now URM/first gen not just URM

[Anonymous]

It's an activity. I wouldn't say it's a hook.