Developing a hook?

Applying to College
1

I’m halfway through my sophomore year in high school and have been looking into top colleges for some time now. The issue is, I’m what you may call “well rounded.” I basically just join 50 clubs and hope for the best. I’m very smart, #2/250 in my class.
Here are my extracurriculars as of right now:
Key club editor
DECA - state qualifier, regional finalist
Varsity cheerleader
Action team captain with the volunteers of America
School musical
School choir
Friends of Rachel
Gifted and Talented

Nothing sticks out about me in terms of my extracurriculars. I would say I’m a decently interesting person. I’m interested in movies, philosophy, reading, true crime, oldies music, etc. I just can’t find a way to develop a passion and stick to it, especially as a person that is interested in basically everything. This is the only thing truly holding me back from pursuing my dream of going to a top college. How do I develop a passion?

2

Lack of some “passion” won’t be the issue for schools accepting such a small percentage. Nothing wrong with well rounded, when it’s meaningful, especially when it’s not just the clubs the hs offers you.

And that’s not what a hook is.

3

@lookingforward Sorry- better word is a “spike” I guess? Something that makes me stand out. What do you mean by “when it’s meaningful?” I would say the only true meaningful EC for me that I have listed is Key Club, where I am hoping to be the president senior year. That’s also part of the issue- most of these don’t mean much to me. They are all either clubs I joined to get into NHS (my school’s NHS program is competitive) or things I joined because I liked the teacher, or my friends are in the club/sport. I appreciate the reply!

4

You cannot “develop a hook” other than a recruited athlete or perhaps an outstanding special talent: musician, writier etc…

Here some hooks that schools look for in admissions:

Alumni connections
Don’t assume that you’re a shoo-in just because your mom or dad went to your dream school, but you can expect that your folder will be reviewed very carefully. If you’re denied for any reason, the decision will be painful for the college.

Athletics
Playing a sport can give you an excellent boost come admissions decision time. If you’re a superstar you can earn a full scholarship, but even a less exceptional track record can up the odds for your college acceptance. However, some students (and parents) overestimate the weight that athletic ability carries in the admission process and expect an athletic scholarship to be their financial saving grace. Don’t assume you’re getting an award until you get one.

Ethnicity
Colleges normally give you the option of describing yourself as a member of one or more of these groups: American Indian or Alaskan Native; Black or African-American; Mexican-American or Chicano; Puerto Rican; Other Hispanic-American or Latin American; Asian American or Pacific Islander; or multiracial.

Many colleges aggressively recruit students from underrepresented minority populations, and financial aid opportunities are great. Most admission offices have a counselor who is in charge of this effort, and this person can serve as good source of information as well as an advocate in the admission decision process.

Talent in the arts
If you’re a painter, poet, musician, or perhaps a dancer, you can really make your application stand out — unless you’re applying to a specialty school in the arts. In that case, your talent must compete against the talent of all the other applicants. However if you’re applying to a more generalized institution, being an artist may balance any weaknesses in your application and may improve your chances of receiving a college admission letter.

Geography
At a public college or university, being an in-state resident is obviously a hook. At many institutions, coming from an underrepresented region can also be an advantage. Southeastern colleges love to see North Dakota and Montana zip codes on applications, while Southwestern schools welcome candidates from Vermont and Maine.

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@Gumbymom I appreciate the reply! Unfortunately, just my luck, I don’t really fall under any of those categories. I am a white, middle class girl from NJ. My parents went to West Virginia and Rutgers New Brunswick (which I am applying to, but that is a school that I will definitely get into as of right now anyways). I’m definitely involved in the arts in my school but just because it’s something I enjoy doing with my friends. I have some hidden talents- I am a good writer and reader, but have never actually considered doing something with it.

6

You need to think outside the box. Spike isn’t how much you enjoy Key. Nor having a hs title in a cub. (When you apply, the Activities section isn’t just for hs clubs.)

It’s how you pursue your own interests, contribute to group activities, take on responsibilities and do some things because they’re right. In and out of the hs. Spike won’t come from,eg doing service just because Key or NS do it, an hour or so, once in a while, hanging with buds. It might mean you develop your own commitments.

7

In the title you ask about developing a hook and in your last sentence you ask about developing a passion. This is an important distinction, both in what they are and in the degree to which they help in college admissions.

Hooks are attributes that men a school’s institutional need, such as money (development cases), sports team (recruited athletes), or diversity (underrepresented minorities).

Depending on the school and the hook, one of these attributes can virtually assure acceptance for an otherwise qualified applicant.

It is very unlikely that you’ll be able to develop a hook.

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@sherpa Sorry, I used the wrong word to describe what I’m talking about. I definitely mean passion- there was a reply on another post that got these two words mixed up for me. My mistake.

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I’ve heard college admissions officer say that they look to put together a well rounded class. That class will include individuals who are well rounded as well as individuals who have targeted passions/talents.

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Passion is misunderstood and over-rated on CC and in hs kid chats. Adcoms aren’t sitting around trying to gauge how excited you get. They want to see you think, are aware of good opportunities and savvy enough to pursue them. (And different sorts, that’s where rounding comes in.) And commit over time. They can like some stretch and the ways you try to have some impact. That’s not adding some EC or just showing up.

Hs kids think of college in high school terms, who does what, who’s top dog, popular. The competitive colleges can like to see how it adds up, what your choices show of your awareness, energy, willingness. And whether you pick things that stretch you a bit or just easy things to add up hours. Think in terms of your own growth, not just the “member” aspect.

So for your maybe major, what else can you do? And from your service thru Key, what can you personally commit more time to?

And realize, some colleges care less about all this than your stats. Not sure where Rutgers falls.

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@lookingforward Rutgers is my safe school. Most of my schools are in the top 40. Some of my hopefuls include Georgetown, NYU, UPenn, Boston College, etc. My top school is Columbia, but that’s a reach.
I think my main problem is that I just can’t find opportunities, or they aren’t offered to me. Opportunities to better myself as a learner, that is. Out of school opportunities. I definitely develop my interests, but it’s more of a personal thing, like reading books about things I’m interested in. I don’t know how to phrase it, but let’s say I have a passion for writing. Instead of writing and submitting something, I would instead be writing on my own time.

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And writing for yourself is fine. But not collaborative or what might be more activated. You need to engage more than hs and quiet-time things, for those colleges. What will show them what you will contribute, your vision and energies?

You have to get a better read on what most-competitive and highly-competitive colleges look for…and that your competition will offer.

We don’t need to define and refine this today. You need to seriously read up what those colleges say they look for and ponder how you can ramp up. Then come back.

And be sure to run net price calculators (NPC) to be sure targets are affordsble.

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@katnissjul I can share my thoughts as a mom of kids who are pretty passionate about the things they love. This is not according to college application stratey, just how our family has gone about things.

I personally think you are thinking about these issues from the wrong perspective. It isn’t about doing something for your college apps or for recognition. It is about doing something that you love b/c it is who you are. It also isn’t about opportunities being offered to you. It is about being active, not passive, in your intellectual life. You actively seek out what you want b/c it is that important to you. People who want to find opportunities can and do.

For example, have you spent time researching opportunities for teen writers? NaNoWriMo might be something you would enjoy. https://ywp.nanowrimo.org/pages/our-program If that is something you would want to actively pursue, you do it for yourself. If that isn’t the type of writing you enjoy, search for opportunities for what you do. Pursue what you love and when you apply to colleges, you define yourself vs. trying to become some vague shadow of what you think they want.

Let me share an example of why I think the above is true. According to conventional CC wisdom, knowing foreign languages is pretty meaningless and will not help with college admissions at all. They point to the fact that lots of people are multilingual, so it isn’t a unique skill. Well, my dd happens to love languages. She has immersed herself in them. She taught herself French, and now watches all of her daily news in French, reads French novels, etc. She has been studying Russian since 9th grade and has numerous awards for Russian (including international awards). This past summer she spent weeks translating a Russian fairy tale into English. Do lots of people know French and Russian or even more languages? Yes. Unique talent or ability? No. Does that matter? I think that is the real question.

When she applied to colleges, the only thing she worried about was being true to who she is. She talked about her love of language (in all forms, English as well as French and Russian. She loves epic poetry, too.) She talked about her love of cultures, etc. Her application really focused on what according to CC wisdom is a pretty worthless accomplishment. Guess what? She has been invited to interview weekends to compete for top scholarships at several schools. She applied as authentically HER, a young person who truly loves language and has immersed herself in pursuing them. I think her passion for what she loves and how she has gone about learning them is what spoke to the scholarship committees. She is a self-starter. She is inquisitive and resourceful. She has the drive to accomplish what she wants and has succeeded in her goals. I think it is who she is that has mattered. And it wasn’t a checklist of boxes marked off.

Just my perspective.

14

You cannot find a passion. Passion claims you, it comes from your heart and soul. Not everyone has a passion

The best thing for you do to do is be true to yourself. Don’t try to become something you are not or involve yourself in activities that do not interest you to satisfy anyone. Even an admissions counselor.

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@Mom2aphysicsgeek I appreciate hearing what you have to say. I apologize for my difficulty putting my thoughts into words here. If I am to be completely honest, “passions” aside, the things that interest me most as a person are movies, books, psychology, philosophy and true crime. For one thing, finding opportunities that correspond with these individual interests are quite difficult. My interests are definitely more personal things that go on within my house than things that can translate into awards and recognition. I suppose that’s the problem with me- when your interests are vague and personal, instead of something simple, like physics, it makes it harder to demonstrate to universities that you do have a passion. I understand that universities look for kids with passions because it shows them that they can concentrate and achieve great things in the world- and I know for a fact that I can concentrate and achieve great things in the world. I have no problem identifying my ambitions and chasing them. I have no problem stepping outside of my comfort zone to do things. And I know I should look at things less as this passion I am obligated to have so a university will accept me, and more as this passion I want to have so I can chase my dreams in the world. Again,I’m just having the problem of translating my inner interests and things I love to do into outward passions that universities can witness too. I’ll have no problem talking about how much these interests have impacted my life on an essay- but I’m having hell of a time showing how much they impact my thoughts, my goals, my view on the world, and my life. Thank you for your reply!!

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@KKmama I see. I think my issue is that I have these passions- I’m just having difficulty translating them into things I can pursue. For example, I really enjoy reading true crime novels, which is why I want to be a lawyer. Crime interests me. But what can I do with this besides talking about crime? All of my other interests are like this too. Movies, psychology, reading, etc. What else can you do with these things besides talking about them? That’s where my trouble arises. My interests- the things I do in my free time, and passionately enjoy doing in my life- just don’t translate into the world well. I could talk all day about how much these interests impact my life, my thoughts, my day, and my view on the world, but it is just increasingly difficult to physically show that to a college.
To put this into better perspective: let’s say you have a kid, their passion is physics. That kid can spend their free time researching physics, reading about physics, learning about physics, just as I can do with my interests. But then the same kid can go and join the physics Olympics, can do research on physics with professors, can enter physics competitions (or whatever those physics kids do). My interests just don’t seem to present themselves as vividly as something like physics does. I hope it doesn’t look like I’m just making excuses for being lazy- I just genuinely cannot find a way to pursue these passions physically outside my own home and free time.

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Except for recruited athlete and maybe other specially recruited talents, hooks are generally unearned by the applicant. So, unless you are a high level athlete or such willing to do more to be recruited, you cannot develop a hook.

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Not “passions.”
Ideas and follow through. Then commitment.
It’s not about your emotions, but getting up from your seat and doing something that stretches you.

Crime novels are not how law is practiced. But if you’re interested, how about working with community teen court (look it up.) There may be other ways teens engage with local govt or schools. Or vol/intern at a law firm or with s local politician, where you can observe. Or with at-risk teens.

Ideas and commitment. Testing yourself, doing some good.

19

@lookingforward is right and the suggestions are ones you should consider. Yes, saying you can’t do anything is an excuse. You have to become active in seeking out opportunities that are accessible to high school students.

A simple suggestion if you are interested in law is to look into Mock Trail. http://www.nationalmocktrial.org

20

Read “How to be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport. Good thoughts on ECs.