Hook

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hook is basically when legacy kids who are 1/16th URM apply to HYPSM from their 45k a year private and claim they they are minorities.

I know of one kid that had one grand parent that was Hispanic (all other family members were Italian, Irish, etc.) Grandfather came from Colombia in his 30s in the 70s--was a doctor in the US, went to a DC top area private, parents went to Princeton and Duke--checked Hispanic on the Princeton application--got in. Had very good grades and test scores (not recruited athlete). Decent ECs. Probably would not have gotten in if not for Legacy and checking Hispanic but who knows maybe the Legacy would have been enough.

His an associate at a top DC law firm now--went to Georgetown Law from Princeton (seems to be underperforming--a good but not great law school).

The standard for “qualifying” as a URM is 25 percent heritage, or one grandparent. Sounds like this was totally legit.

Sounds made up

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

But to answer the question, for some lesser known schools, being a legacy (but not giving money) might be an advantage (stats otherwise being acceptable) because the school thinks perhaps admission may make you give more money.

But in general for the more elite schools, yes, they want to see substantial giving. A history of it. Seven figures or a building-sized gift.

Being a legacy but not giving money can help at MANY schools, not just lesser known ones. The case against Harvard revealed that the legacy admission rate was above 30%.

OK, but my high-stats kid was applying to Harvard and got a soft rejection. We were told seven figures. We gave - oh - maybe 1 figure

probably just your kid. we know plenty of classmates at Harvard who gave little and had multiple kids accepted.

7 figures is to get you in as a donor, and you don't have to be a legacy for that. two separate tracks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Rare diseases can be hooks.

Ha! Ha!
My kid has a disability. It is NOT a hook. Admitting that was the WORST thing they could have done on their applications. High ranking collages do not want the disabled, period, even if the kid is incredibly well qualified. Everyone thinks they are for accepting kids with disabilities but all collages see is dealing with professors who don’t want to do even the simplest of accommodations citing “academic integrity”.
If a top collage admits a disabled person, it’s 1 to get the newspaper credit ….and then the student is often pushed off into “easier” majors.

[Anonymous]

Also, mental illness is NOT a hook:

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/opinion/college-applications-mental-health.html

The author disclosed to Yale and did not get in.

She did not disclose to Harvard and did get in.

[Anonymous]

Full pay is not a hook. Even full pay kids get merit aid -- why would they do that if they needed the full pay so bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Full pay is not a hook. Even full pay kids get merit aid -- why would they do that if they needed the full pay so bad?

Full pay isn't a hook at need blind schools, but it is everywhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full pay is not a hook. Even full pay kids get merit aid -- why would they do that if they needed the full pay so bad?

Full pay isn't a hook at need blind schools, but it is everywhere else.

Vast majority of schools are need blind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Full pay is not a hook. Even full pay kids get merit aid -- why would they do that if they needed the full pay so bad?

Full pay isn't a hook at need blind schools, but it is everywhere else.

Vast majority of schools are need blind.

The vast majority of schools using a holistic admissions process (the kind we're talking about here) are not need blind.

88% of colleges accept more than half their applicants (25% accept 100%), and most of those schools will offer admissions to anyone who meets their basic criteria, they might not offer enough aid for you to accept, but you don't need a "hook" at them.

But of the remaining 12%, and the much smaller portion that DCUM cares about, many are need blind.

[Anonymous]

Legacy, legacy, legacy. Your kids should absolutely apply where you went to college. And start donating at least something, routinely. Many many privates, especially Catholics take up to 30%+ alum’s kids.

All the other “hooks” are just an attempt to bring a bit of economic, racial, and experiential diversity to a colleges that are disproportionately still white upper class. Eg Notre Dame and the like are 70% white when US population is less than 60% white.