<p>I am so nervous, the application was submitted, and now here we are, waiting. </p>
<p>So, why don't we share strongs aspects of ECs / awards / hooks we put in the application? Someone start.</p>
<p>I guess I'll start. Perhaps my main hook is that I designed and helped build my parents' restaurant, which I then worked in for four years (and counting), cooking dishes. A secondary hook is that I strongly base my life on traditional Eastern philosophy - particularly the works of Lao Tzu.</p>
<p>Basically, tell me what you THINK will set YOU appart from the 22,000 or so applicants who will be applying to Stanford. What would you think will appeal to Stanford admissions officers?</p>
<p>that's a better description of your thread - hooks are pretty limited - URM, athlete, legacy, developmental admit...</p>
<p>ummm, I am a URM student who applied to Stanford SCEA (even with a very poor 1700 SAT score).</p>
<p>My biggest hook was probably my passion for community service and culture.</p>
<p>As AVID President I planned and organized the first ever, overnight college trip at our school, it took A LOT OF TIME AND DEDICATION but it was an awesome trip.</p>
<p>Second hook, I am the creator/founder of a club I call A.C.C.E.P.T. (Academic, Community, and Cultural Enrichment Program for Triumph)
I decided to ground my three passions for learning, providing service, and becoming culturally enriched into one general club. </p>
<p>The very large majority of the students at my school are Latino like myself, and no not attend a four year university. Therefore, I decided to start this club in order to encourage to go to college and inform students about "SAT's, AP classes, etc..." Our students rarely hear about "college stuff" (the average SAT score at my school is about a 1400 out of 2400)</p>
<p>So far, ACCEPT has been a huge success, it is currently the largest club on campus, I am very proud and extremely grateful for the support I have received from my friends, school administrators, community dignitaries, etc...</p>
<p>For my "intellectual vitality essay," I wrote about my love for the social sciences and how "rice" can be best compared to "culture." Think about this... both rice and culture are something we all share whether it be in the form of pilaf, "Spanish," fried, or "White." (this was a favorite among my social science teachers)</p>
<p>For my letter to my future roommate, I wrote about how my childish aspiration to become a priest best reflects my character now. (my friends really liked this one)</p>
<p>Finally, my "why stanford essay" in my favorite. its kinda hard to explain though.</p>
<p>I know my SAT scores suck, I come from a whack school compared to the competative, appealing schools everyone else comes from, but I am hoping the admissions officers can spot my character in my essays. My main intention to attend Stanford is that I know that if I were accepted, I can indirectly inspire and motivate studens from my own community to strive hard to achieve future dreams. </p>
<p>I have wrote enough already, I do this a lot, so I guess tahts it.</p>
<p>URM, but not just any URM, Puerto Rican... but i dont just rely on this... i got the usual... 4.0 GPA, all AP's possibl... great recs... compete in international math olympiads and won... 2110 sat (rely my lowest point)</p>
<p>and i actually did an essay similar to urs, gman... i wrote abt my family and how its PR culture is like rice and beans: rice=sophisticated purity of mother's side, beans=flavorful, loving father's side...</p>
<p>whoa, highlow, you're an IMO medalist?</p>
<p>What about you, stupidkid?</p>
<p>urm, questbridge finalist, LOTS of leadership, great essays ( one won the color purple essay contest, my why Stanford talked about how I want to affect change at Stanford and in Palo Alto), haven't had any one from my school in a while</p>
<p>HighLow, that PR essay topic sounds like contrived bs to me</p>
<p>lol, I had to look up the word "contrived," but dontcha, does that mean that my essay about the various forms and comparison of rice and culture is also "contrived bs?"</p>
<p>This is an interesting thread . . .</p>
<p>Anyway, my hook was my passion for business and finance: junior year, FBLA state president; worked part-time job sophomore year (20-25 hours/week) at a tax firm; worked two part-time jobs junior year (about 35-40 hours/week) for same tax firm and a lender; senior year, work at tax firm full time now and for lender part-time (>45 hours/week)</p>
<p>This was reflected in my "Why Stanford?" essay, where I compared the college application process to the loan application process, stating that I am/my future is an investment, and Stanford is the investor, in terms of admission and resources. Wrote about how both Stanford and I both benefit the most from my admission there and not elsewhere. (It also came up in my common app essay)</p>
<p>The other hook was passion for foreign languages; grew up speaking English and Tongan, at 8 started studying Hebrew (Jewish family), which inspired an interest in etymology, leading to the study of Ancient Greek. Spanish came in middle school/high school; I earned a few awards for translating/linguistic accomplishments (Yes, I'm fluent in all of the previously aforementioned languages, it's not just "hi" or a couple phrases)</p>
<p>That showed up in my "idea that I find intellectually exciting" where I talked about how languages connect a group of people/divide groups of people and how unique languages are in that very rarely do things retain their meaning in translation. Evaluated Shakespeare's "a rose by any other name still smells as sweet" and wrote about how that may be true, but "la rosa," "to rhodon," and "the rose" all have different rings to them, to paraphrase. I liked this essay the most.</p>
<p>Now that I think of it, Stanford's supplement was very long, but they do get the bigger picture of who I am (beyond average test scores). And I would rather attend a university that cares about my personality more than my test scores, so I'm pretty happy with the way things turned out.</p>
<p>well, i labeled his as contrived because of these redic. beans=warm,loving (how?) = father (why?) and rice = sophisticated purity? = mom?
And I don't think it works (in general) to center an easy around your parents, as opposed to you...
gman6855, I have no grounds to evaluate that essay topic on any level, so I'm sure its fine...</p>
<p>I wouldn't call too many of these hooks really. They are more like...attractive qualities. </p>
<p>I'd say that among my extracurriculars, my leadership and internships set me aside from a lot of applicants...I'm President of National Art Honor Society, captain of my soccer team, and a local board representative. Also, I've worked at both NASA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture in science/engineering based fields, and my essay expresses my strong interest in biology in a unique way. I am aiming for a combination of art/science qualities and presenting myself as a well-rounded applicant.</p>
<p>I'm hoping my essay will bring out the glow in my application with all the flattering comments that I've gotten from other reviewers on CC. But, perhaps the only thing that I could even come close to calling a "hook" is my involvement in the community as a Teen Representative for the local district board. I've put a lot of time into designing and hosting community events, encouraging people to clean up the environment, celebrate diversity, and other inciteful works. One of the board members wrote a letter of recommendation for me, which talked of my ability to lead and work with others, and my initiative resulting in projects that have been the best in 5 years. </p>
<p>I mean, overall, I'm probably just average or below average when compared to the vast number of SCEA applicants. Also, I'm Asian, which kind of blows sometimes. I'll just have to hope that I'm on Lady Luck's good side. =)</p>
<p>well, I could write u the entire essay so that ud get it, but that would be a tad stupid... :) naw, trust me, it works. I wrote about how this "family" comunity defines me and it wasnt just abt my parents... it was barely at all abt my parents... its more abt the entire family and the analogy actually goes like this: rice=white purity and bean=full of flavour</p>
<p>and no, im not an IMO medalist (thatd be awsome though) its anothr international competition... dosnt include the whole world though...</p>
<p>hmm.... hook for SCEA? My S has applied. I think his last 3 years reserach, pending paper and individual regional finalist award in Siemen's competition would set him apart. He has multiple Varsity sports and distinguished community service.
Do you think this is a hook?
He is ORM. So I don't know how these things come together in the eyes of adcom officer.
I agree. The waiting is kind of painful. On the same token the adcom officers should take thier time and do justice to the applictaions.</p>
<p>Chelsea Clinton and I are BFF... ;)</p>
<p>lol (see above)<br>
Is that really true? </p>
<p>Anyway, I hope my reasearch in Principles in Radar Tracking along with the research paper and presentation that I made for New Jersey Gov school will be a "hook". Otherwise, I hope my essays give the readers an impression.</p>
<p>
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Is that really true?
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</p>
<p>Yes, she said so on her Myspace page. LOL</p>
<p>j/k</p>
<p>im white, so basically im screwed no matter what since i didnt get 2400 on the SAT....</p>