<p>Ok. College applications are done. My stats are pretty CC average [4.0unw/1410/2180/32] and I wrote a lovely essay, but that's not what I want to discuss. After going through my essays and list of ECs, when it comes down to it, my two passions have come through:</p>
<p>2) Film - mostly independent & foreign (and those non-independent critically acclaimed movies, like "Milk")</p>
<p>My inteviewers for top schools found it very interesting that I'm a female who loves chemistry and yet also has a passion for non-mainstream movies. [I review movies in my free time, and then submit some of them to the school newspaper to be published; and have volunteered at the Sarasota Film Festival]</p>
<p>I never had thought that this really stood out. Chemistry and Film are just things I naturally love. But then when I thought about it, it makes sense, for females in the sciences are somewhat rare and very few people in general are obsessed with great cinema.</p>
<p>What do you guys think? If these aren't as interesting as my interviewers thought, then I won't be heartbroken or anything. I never even realized it anyway.</p>
<p>Interesting, yes, but not really a hook, unless one of your schools has a unique institutional need for female science oriented independent film buffs.</p>
<p>I used my passion for the fine arts and computer science as a hook. lol, I'm not sure if I got in because of that or because I wrote a killer essay :) I think it is more of what you say in your personal statement and essay that counts.</p>
<p>I majored in chemistry in college, simply because I liked it. We had fewer than a dozen chem majors in my grade, and I'd say roughly half were female.</p>
<p>I'm sure some of them liked indie films (or weaving, or making dresses out of duct tape) as well. Not trying to take anything away from you, and I'm glad your interviewers found it interesting. But I'm not sure if it's a "hook".</p>
<p>It's more....um....you like chemistry and indie films.</p>
<p>It's a hook if it places you in one of the school's identified categories of applicants. Traditional hooks involve things like athletics, ethnic diversity, international citizenship, institutional legacy and loyalty, musical and artistic needs, component schools or special academic programs, and in some cases, even gender. Things you like may help identify you as a good "fit" with a school, but likely aren't hooks.</p>
<p>But does that mean that the person will major in music/oboeing? Or just that they want more musical people in general?</p>
<p>I've played the violin for 7 years and enjoy it (of course I put it on my resume), but I have no intention in majoring in music. So, I guess my question is, that's not going to help, right? Since I'm not majoring in music/violin.</p>
<p>One might need to commit to music in order to have the hook offered, and there might be a merit scholarship involved which could depend on continued participation.</p>
<p>Violin probably won't help you beyond the EC. If the school needed violins, they likely would have asked you about it.</p>
<p>The whole oboe thing is really just shorthand for having a relatively rare but somewhat necessary skill that may be sought by colleges.</p>
<p>So in the case of the oboe, it used to be that there were not many oboe players around, but orchestras needed them, so if you played the oboe your application might be looked upon more favorably. Since most college orchestras have non-music majors in them, it wouldn't matter very much whether you planned to be a music major or not.</p>
<p>Playing the violin is very common, so it is unlikely that just being able to play the violin will help you very much except that it shows you can commit to something. If you play the violin well and have pursued it to a very high level, then it may help you just as pursuing any EC to a very high level will. Generally, being very good at something, except certain sports, is not a hook. It may help your application, but real hooks are things like being a URM, recruited athlete, legacy, having parents who are big donors, etc.</p>
<p>Apparently, oboe players are not so scarce anymore anyway...</p>
<p>These are the indisputable hooks: recruited athlete, URM, legacy, development (large donor). Kids in these categories have different standards for admission.</p>
<p>Some would also say being an Olympic athlete, winning Intel and other very unusual accomplishments are also hooks.</p>
<p>^ Only if there were a substantial cash gift to enable the school to reach more needy kids. There's no other benefit to a reputable school to admit an unqualified student who will just lower the stats. But the student might be a borderline admit anyway.</p>
<p>There was an admissions article recently where an admissions officer said "there is no admissions officer in the country that knows what the orchestra needs."</p>
<p>well i have to say there's one indisputable one you're missing: applying to a land-grant university (you know one of the ivies is one) and living on a farm. Add that to basically any interest (though ag would be a bonus) and as long as you fall somewhere in the middle im pretty sure you're set, or about 5 times more likely to be accepted</p>
<p>^ judging by your username, Im gonna guess you are a little biased by that. I would say that that shows demonstrated interest, but that does not necessarily help your chances. That does not specifically go for land grant instituitons either, I think most food science/ag schools would like farm kids (on an interesting EC level), but then again MIT is a land grant institution, and I don't think they would care about it besides it being an EC if it takes your time.</p>