<p>I believe this is a valid question. At what point does an EC become a 'hook', or at least something completly unique? I want to say that I have a hook or something but its not anything in a normal sense. I have become extremely involved in Boy Scouting and one of a handful of 'deeply involved' Scouters in my state and nation who are considered 'selective' applicants and have become deeply involved in council and state-wide leadership training and accepting multiple teaching opportunities for a nationally known leadership program. Also accepting Senior positions within Leadership training programs. </p>
<p>In addition to those, there are many other Scouting programs I have done (Like national jamboree leader, leading and planning multiple international high-adventure trips, staffing camps, Eagle Scout, it goes on and on...).</p>
<p>Also in addition in the 'Additional Information' section on the Common App I am providing a Leadership Resume, because most of my leadership is not exclusive to Scouting, but numerous in Band programs, Theatre Programs, Skiing Programs, and Spanish (and other standard ones).</p>
<p>I know several people here on CC who might be in a similar position as me, and seems like a validate question because these have certainly set me well-off any beaten path of EC's.</p>
<p>You can stand out for any EC by taking it to a level that most students don’t.</p>
<p>For instance, lots of applicants have played musical instruments for years, and have participated in a variety of musical groups. Not many applicants will have, for instance, written music that their high school or community orchestra or band has performed.</p>
<p>Many applicants have done hundreds of hours of community service. Not many applicants will have organized a citywide fundraiser that raised $10,000. Not many applicants will have recruited 10 people who each devoted 100 hours during a year mentoring prisoners’ kids.</p>
<p>Many applicants have been SGA presidents. Not many got every high school in their school district involved in raising the money and providing the labor to build a Habitat for Humanity house.</p>
<p>Many applicants will have done internships arranged with family friends. Not many applicants will have found an out of state newspaper internship on their own, and gotten paid for doing it while being by far the youngest intern on the staff.</p>
<p>Many applicants will have traveled abroad. Not many will be a first generation college student who raised the money for the trip by working a job, and then went to France completely on their own.</p>
<p>Many applicants will participate in school peer advising programs. Not many would get conflict resolution training, become certified in it, and then certify others including much older adults.</p>
<p>Many applicants will have participated in school and community theater. Not many would have been assistant stage manager for a community theater production, and would also have directed and produced a local show.</p>
<p>These are examples of the kind of ECs that I’ve heard about that stood out in admissions.</p>
<p>It’s interesting the need to use the term ‘hook’ so much to define everything. If ‘we’ as a collective voice describe it as a ‘hook’ does that make it any different to an adcom? It seems as though students look through their bag of ECs/Creds and think ‘what can I label as a hook?’. Not everybody has one. Not everybody needs one.</p>
<p>I think in admissions there are some fairly universal ‘hooks’ that are used to describe students that stand out, and may be given extra consideration in admissions because they add needed elements to a university. Traditionally this would be a recruited athlete (team does well, revenue goes up, everybody wins), legacy (schools need the depth of history, and donations), or URM (diversity brings a broader experience to all students, academically and culturally).</p>
<p>Beyond those mentioned I think the need to call something a hook is not necessary. It makes it no more or less wonderful and amazing to an adcom. They are not going to miss it in your application because you didn’t have a note on front saying “HOOK on page 5!!”. I’m being sarcastic here, so take a breath.</p>
<p>What you have done is amazing. Job well done! I don’t think you have to call something a hook for it to be noticed. You will be.</p>
<p>hook isn’t a binary operation. You have different levels of impressiveness. Search a thread called “list of top, prestigious awards”. I’m too lazy to find it for you.</p>
<p>There are many candidates who can be identified by one particular thing in their application. For example, my oldest D was the “singer”, whereas my younger D will be the “artist”. You will be the “boy scout.”</p>
<p>Now how that plays out in admissions will depend on how much you stand out in that category and whether a college needs that category to complete the profile of their class.
If you stand out from others with a similar label, and a school is looking for your “type”, then I would view it as a hook.</p>
<p>Now you can try to play that out to your advantage as much as possible. The fact that you have other leadership roles helps. Because when you get to college they will want to see you use your “boy scout skills” in other leadership roles impt to the school.</p>
<p>Your essay can hone in on things you learned as a scout that has helped you become a better leader. (You get the drift.)</p>
<p>Another thing to look at is to try to apply to schools that don’t have as may “boy scouts.” My D’s “singing” label was more advantageous at GW, Brandeis and Barnard than it was at NYU (where she is a vocal performance major.) At NYU, everyone is a singer so she stressed her leadership roles in music and student gov’t and how she was the founder and director of an accapella group that did charity concerts and community service. So at NYU her “hook” was more about leadership than talent.</p>
<p>So mostly, it is about how you market yourself. It is not so much as having a hook as creating one.</p>