<p>What's a hook? What do you consider to be a hook? Would a hook be like making ornaments out of llama wool? Knitting scarves for children?</p>
<p>Hooks:</p>
<p>Race You are a race that is not widely represented in the school
Where you Live You live in an area of the country or are from a country that is not prevalent throughout the student body
Sports You play a sport that you are extremly talented at (you probably play travel or have been playing for 5 years or more) and have been said to be really good for your age</p>
<p>There are more that I am sure more people will post.</p>
<p>Do you think being from Australia and being born in Kuwait could be considered as a hook?</p>
<p>^^No
living in North Dakota and being born in Alaska would</p>
<p>And the biggest hook of all—
knowing someone who has influence in the process and who will wield that influence on your behalf.</p>
<p>It usually trumps all other hooks.</p>
<p>legacy. having just a sister or brother in boarding school would get you in.
i’ve seen very not so deserving kids get in because they’re smart siblings got in first.
@ilovethattree, if you push yourself, in their eyes, to be an applicant from kuwait, that’s a good hook. boarding schools like to take at least one kid from certain countries. sometimes they take kids from that country just for the sake of getting a student from that country.</p>
<p>@clay: I’m from Australia, so are my parents, I just happen to be born in kuwait because my parents were working there at the time. Is being from Australia still a good hook?</p>
<p>
It does not GET you in. It helps. I’ve seen very deserving siblings NOT get in, even with siblings already there (not often, but it happens).<br>
ilovethattree: it really depends on the school and what kind of geographic diversity they are looking for. It certainly can’t hurt and it certainly better than being from New England!</p>
<p>more often than not, if you have a sibling in you’ll get in too (unless you’re just a terrible student). There are plenty of average (even below average) students who get in because (probably because) they have smart/talented older siblings who got in first. Sad but true.</p>
<p>An outstanding musician (not just taking lessons), particularly in an instrument that may be underrepresented.</p>
<p>Ilovethattree, I’m no Aussie but I’ve lived there among many other places and my sister was born there. The adcoms seemed to like that a lot, although they said they had a few Aussies. No-one from my homecountry though</p>
<p>Im an African American mediocre viola player, and my dad went to Hotchkiss…would any of those be substantial</p>
<p>Why does everyone (including me) on CC seem to play viola!!! being African American should help I guess better than being almost albino like me :P. And Hotchkiss alum is a hook i think</p>
<p>Basically anything that they want/don’t have. Being a good piano player or guitarist is nice, but there’s lots of those, so unless you’re doing something with it (getting your own gigs) or you’re wicked good/a legit prodigy, it’s not gonna be much help. But if you’re, say, a champion figure skater, that’s a hook (even if it doesn’t directly benefit the school). Schools want jewels for their crowns so they can show off. So a Norwegian kid who is good at soccer, is a talented ballerina and is reasonably intelligent probably stands a better chance of being accepted than a star student from New England who plays the piano. Deal.</p>
<p>and @ BlueRaven1: only if you’re applying to Hotchkiss. </p>
<p>good luck, applicants.</p>
<p>Yeah, I thought that was pretty obvious 
Thanks for the advice, why are lots of students on right now?</p>
<p>no idea
i haven’t been on in months (but that’s beacuse i have a life :P)
has anyone here applied to mx?</p>
<p>I wanted to, I really wish I had now.
And I totally have no life at all, hopefully that’ll change next year.
What did you do on the week/days preceding March 10?</p>
<p>freaked out
bit my nails to the quick
got very little sleep
chill, it’ll be over soon. take some nighttime cold medicine to help you sleep.</p>
<p>Easy for you to say! :D</p>