Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 19:28     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:As other posters have said, know the difference between “hook” and “spike.”

Intense, quirky, longtime interest with big awards is a SPIKE.

Being a recruited athlete, development case, etc, is a HOOK.


Well yeah, big donation plus a "sport" = biggest hook known (but not publicized).

You are welcome.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 19:28     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:ROTC for elite private schools where most of their students are wealthy with little or no interest in a military career.



Very underrated hook. I mean extremely underrated. Elite schools that choose to do ROTC - MIT, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Duke, Cornell, Berkeley, Georgetown - need to fill those spaces. And those are generally four year scholarships. The US military is dropping $300,000 on these kids. And they often go on to big time things - from consulting to IB to national security. And all the business and graduate schools love them. It's a big time hook.


Pffffft - claim vet status - 3 months later, claim disability. Done and done.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:57     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
As other posters have said, know the difference between “hook” and “spike.”

Intense, quirky, longtime interest with big awards is a SPIKE.

Being a recruited athlete, development case, etc, is a HOOK.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:55     Subject: Re:Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Having a special talent isn’t a hook. It’s legacy, large donor, athletic recruit, urm, first Gen, and pell eligible


What about faculty kids?


Yes. And they often get a significant reduction in tuition. Several applications asked if a family member worked at the university.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:55     Subject: Re:Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:I consider full pay a hook.


At highly selective schools, full pay is not a hook. Not even close. Most of them are need-blind to begin with. Full pay really only comes into play for the waitlist and recent years see few waitlist admits.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:52     Subject: Re:Real Life “Hook” examples
Having an actual hook for a hand — and writing a Halloween-themed essay about it.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:52     Subject: Re:Real Life “Hook” examples
I consider full pay a hook.


Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:50     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:Be forewarned that you have about 6 hours before your thread turns into a gripe fest.

Anything that is seen as both uncommon and generally beneficial could be a hook. So being a great chess player is good but being a famous chess YouTube vlogger is probably better.


To this point, College Vine has a list of items rated by importance. Having a YouTube channel was one thing. Having a YouYube channel with X views was quite another.

College Vine lists out what’s considered meh versus outstanding.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:47     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:ROTC for elite private schools where most of their students are wealthy with little or no interest in a military career.



Very underrated hook. I mean extremely underrated. Elite schools that choose to do ROTC - MIT, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Duke, Cornell, Berkeley, Georgetown - need to fill those spaces. And those are generally four year scholarships. The US military is dropping $300,000 on these kids. And they often go on to big time things - from consulting to IB to national security. And all the business and graduate schools love them. It's a big time hook.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:18     Subject: Re:Real Life “Hook” examples
Dustin Hoffman is my favorite real life Hook!

Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:13     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:refugee from war-torn African nation while being one of the better students in the class



What about being a victim more generally?


Well if you believe people on this board, their kids are all victims.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:12     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
ROTC for elite private schools where most of their students are wealthy with little or no interest in a military career.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 18:11     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Traditionally, in admissions world, hook refers to recruited athlete, URM, legacy, development case. Hook does not refer to interest.



OP, what you are referring to is sometimes referred to as a "spike" though there may be other terms as well.



This, op seems not to understand what a hook is.


It’s no wonder these people say you have to have a hook to be admitted. Everything under the sun is a hook.
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 17:49     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Anonymous wrote:refugee from war-torn African nation while being one of the better students in the class



What about being a victim more generally?
Anonymous
Post 11/06/2023 17:48     Subject: Real Life “Hook” examples
Homeschooling?