“Hook”?
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Anonymous
| Everyone talks about kids with hooks getting into great schools. Can you provide some examples of things that count as “hooks” these days? I think I get the concept but I am not sure where a nice honor or cool EC becomes a “hook”? |
Anonymous
Being URM. |
Anonymous
No. Being URM isn’t enough. You have to be URM AND first generation college student. Bigger than that is: 1. Rich legacy that donates 2. From Wealthy family 3. Athletic recruit People love to post that URM is such a big hook and how unfair it is. In reality the best chance of being admitted is one if these three categories. |
Anonymous
| Or something significantly less common than the thousands of other kids from Montgomery/Fairfax who play soccer/football/lacrosse/basketball/baseball/softball/volleyball. Eg, Fencing champion. Or won a national award for something. |
Anonymous
| Probably the biggest hook is being a faculty kid. |
Anonymous
| Honors and ECs generally aren’t hooks. URM, legacy, potential huge donor, recruited athlete are hooks. Sometimes being full pay, though the most selective schools say they are need-blind |
Anonymous
I don't think that is true, and not a hook at all schools. Athletic recruit is easily the biggest hook. |
Anonymous
| Being Malala or Greta Thunberg is a hook |
Anonymous
| A hook = Any quality that would be brag worthy for the school. Primarily URM (because all top schools are desperate to increase those numbers) or some sort of “This would make a great article.” Admit. |
Anonymous
While true, it’s much harder to be a world class athlete than a good student. |
Anonymous
| Athletics is the most obvious hook. My DC is at a local private and recruited athletes from the senior class are going to Brown, Cornell, John Hopkins, Stanford, Dartmouth, Columbia, University of Chicago. Some of these schools have 2 athletes attending. |
Anonymous
For sure. Fortunately you don't need to be a world class athlete to be hooked. |
Anonymous
hence the kids trying to get admitted though rich people sports where the competition is easier. DD may not be quite good enough at lacrosse, but field hockey needs players and to pool the select from is much smaller, DS may be a great linebacker but not quite quick enough, but rowing doesn't attract the same talent as football... |
Anonymous
Exactly. You just have to be a URM. |
Anonymous
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Non athletic "hook"
Being a real co-author of an article in a scientific journal helps Being the best oboist in the state when the school you like is in need of an oboist Winning "Best of Category" in the Intel Science Fair Finals Those are the ones I know that "worked" based on people I know personally. |