What are "hooks"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

+2 Also, geography can be hook, especially if you live in a rural location.

This is a big I one I’ve seen work a lot recently. Despite all other things being equal from SES to stats, the kid from rural Alabama or Tennessee will get in to the highly selective school over the kid from Arlington.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:only real 100% admit hook is athletic recruit

all other things being mentioned will improve odds, but not guarantee

every 5 yr old male should play lax and every female should row - if you want guaranteed T20 admission. Both are easy sports to master - any kid can become ivy caliber with enough private lessons and coaching

Rotc is def a hook

is this true? any T20s with ROTC?

Harvard has ROTC. It is NOT a hook.

I don’t think you understand what a hook is. Harvard has ROTC and that IS a hook. It is not, however, a guarantee. It definitely makes the applicant looked at more closely which essentially a hook.

And they’re only competing against other ROTC applicants which is a MUCH smaller pool. Significant increase in odds.

[Anonymous]

what prevents the typical DCUM striver from using this to gain an admission advantage, then dropping out first semester and transitioning to full pay. God knows there is a percentage of the DCUM that would play any angle, no matter how loathsome

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You'll find that people expand the definition as it suits them. Generally, it's something that meets a specific needs of a college. We might not know what that school's priorities are, which is why people guess a lot.

An individual might think their kid has a hook, but it that isn't something the schools they're applying to priorities, it's not a hook.

Do these change every year?

Or are the schools where you just know that something is always a hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

+2 Also, geography can be hook, especially if you live in a rural location.

This is a big I one I’ve seen work a lot recently. Despite all other things being equal from SES to stats, the kid from rural Alabama or Tennessee will get in to the highly selective school over the kid from Arlington.

This. At my kid’s highly selective school they said they have freshman from 49 states. My guess is if s mediocre kid applied from the 50th state, he’d have an excellent shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

+2 Also, geography can be hook, especially if you live in a rural location.

This is a big I one I’ve seen work a lot recently. Despite all other things being equal from SES to stats, the kid from rural Alabama or Tennessee will get in to the highly selective school over the kid from Arlington.

This. At my kid’s highly selective school they said they have freshman from 49 states. My guess is if s mediocre kid applied from the 50th state, he’d have an excellent shot.

Yep. The challenge is to find the HS that will help educate to get top test scores and grades and enable kid to still get national this and that… just bring from tho 50th state without that won’t work, but after if check all the other boxes, better odds to be from 50th state than less bottom 50% at say TJ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what prevents the typical DCUM striver from using this to gain an admission advantage, then dropping out first semester and transitioning to full pay. God knows there is a percentage of the DCUM that would play any angle, no matter how loathsome

It possible but is the kid willing to put in th time and effort on the scholarship process? Can the kid actually earn the 4-year scholarship? No medical issues? Very athletic (to excel on the physical fitness part of the application)? Varsity captain or class president to show leadership skills? Great grades? SAT/ACT? Great recommendations? How about candidate interview (even though planning on quitting ROTC)? Would be quite the commitment for an uncertain result.

[Anonymous]

Besides the obvious (first gen, URM):
--National awards/recognition. Win Regeneron or National Math olympiad. There are lists out there of the biggest ones.
--Playing an obscure sport or instrument at a very high level. Think synchronized skating or playing the harp. This worked for several people we know.
--Deep, proven, commitment to an unusual but intellectual hobby. Your kid is an opera buff. Has seen every opera in the world. Has maintained a blog about opera for years. Posts interviews with top opera singers. Self-studied Italian to appreciate Rigoletto without subtitles. You get the idea.

The goal is to have AOs say "wow, never seen this before."

Rich people in NYC hire college advisors to help them with this stuff but you have to start early, like 8th or 9th grade, even earlier for a sport or instrument.

[Anonymous]

Eagle Scout?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Besides the obvious (first gen, URM):
--National awards/recognition. Win Regeneron or National Math olympiad. There are lists out there of the biggest ones.
--Playing an obscure sport or instrument at a very high level. Think synchronized skating or playing the harp. This worked for several people we know.
--Deep, proven, commitment to an unusual but intellectual hobby. Your kid is an opera buff. Has seen every opera in the world. Has maintained a blog about opera for years. Posts interviews with top opera singers. Self-studied Italian to appreciate Rigoletto without subtitles. You get the idea.

The goal is to have AOs say "wow, never seen this before."

Rich people in NYC hire college advisors to help them with this stuff but you have to start early, like 8th or 9th grade, even earlier for a sport or instrument.

"We rarely see this" is enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

No longer true per SCOTUS

[Anonymous]

For University of North Carolina, North Carolina residency is definitely a hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

No longer true per SCOTUS

Nope. They just got rid of the checkbox. It’s still a hook and can be an obvious part of an application because the schools encourage disclosure in their essay prompts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

No longer true per SCOTUS

Nope. They just got rid of the checkbox. It’s still a hook and can be an obvious part of an application because the schools encourage disclosure in their essay prompts.

All schools ask, they just ask more subtly. My DS has written 3 supplements so far about "community" or "diversity" or "overcoming obstacles." I am sure no one will read beyond the first sentence because all they actually want to know is - are you Black or Latino.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:URM and 1st gen...but I have a feeling you already knew that.

+2 Also, geography can be hook, especially if you live in a rural location.

This is a big I one I’ve seen work a lot recently. Despite all other things being equal from SES to stats, the kid from rural Alabama or Tennessee will get in to the highly selective school over the kid from Arlington.

This. At my kid’s highly selective school they said they have freshman from 49 states. My guess is if s mediocre kid applied from the 50th state, he’d have an excellent shot.

But then you have to live there. lol

I wouldn’t want to live in most of the places that confer a geographic hook—and the k-12 education usually isn’t as strong.