<p>I have seen so many threads where people are not "unique" enough to get into their dream schools. They say you need interesting hooks such as Perfect SAT or ACT scores, National Awards, being a URM, being a recruted athlete, legacy, very well rounded, number one in you class, ect. However, could being part of the LGBT community give you some kind of edge. I know, I know that it is not the same, and I agree that is should not be a hook, but could it be a way to define yourself, to set yourself apart? </p>
<p>I am sorry if offened anyone, esspecially to those who don't agree with this "life style." This was me just pondering.</p>
<p>I don't know any people who have gotten into top schools with a "coming out" essay. I think that anybody who can write a good essay about being gay without it being cliched might be seen as unique. </p>
<p>Otherwise, however, people don't disclose that on the application- it seems so odd to add on an application when there's no place to put it. If one was a little person and didn't write an essay on it (or shows it through EC's), one wouldn't disclose it on the application. It's kind of the same thing. </p>
<p>But, yeah, it can be a hook (yes, colleges do want that diversity. Almost all of the top schools include sexual orientation in their anti-discrimination policy).</p>
<p>By itself, I don't see sexual orientation as a hook. I think it becomes a hook when a student works on a political campaign as a result, or starts a gay-straight alliance club at their school, or volunteers for an organization that supports AIDS patients...some meaningful contribution to a school or community is always a hook.</p>
<p>Colleges get their share of gay students in the general pool. This may have been interesting years ago when few people were out at our age, but come on, this is 2008! You clearly don't live in NYC or CA!!</p>
<p>And I totally disagree with the above post that any of those things would make it a hook. There's a G/S alliance at every HS in the Country! I define hook way differently.</p>
<p>^ Nope, Northern VA, lol. And, @ siliconvallrymom, I am going to start a GSA next year. Yeah, I don't want to be cliche or make something out of somthing, just curious.</p>
<p>I think it's the experience that counts. Someone asked a college rep at a meeting recently whether the fact that he was a veteran was a hook. The response was that if it was a significant part of his life, then he should point that out in the personal statement. In other words, it's as important to us as it is to you. If being gay has been a huge part of your life, then they care about that experience. Not the fact that you are gay.</p>
<p>^ Awesome. I am thinking aout writing my essay on "coming-out", but it seems kinda...trite. Being bisexual is a huge part of my life, not only relationship wise, but when it comes to friends, ECs, and most importantly, who I am as a person. I don't fit the stereotype, so that might be some kind of twist I could put on my essay. Anyways, I think that if it important to me, than it will important to them, or kind of anyways...</p>
<p>a guy in my class wrote an absolutely beautiful (but very subtle) essay about his sexual orientation...it was understated but still very moving!</p>
<p>LGBTQ as diversity really depends on the college...at Yale, for example, when approx. 25% of the male population is gay, your orientation wouldn't be too unusual...which is probably a good thing :-)</p>
<p>^ Ha, I am not shooting for Yale, but Dartmouth. I know Dartmouth is still mostly liberal, but there is more of a conservative influence than at other Ivys(correct me if I am wrong.)</p>
<p>I think many essays of this type deal with discrimination and how the student overcame it to achieve at the high school level. Or how they came to accept themselves as they are, which everyone has to deal with in one way or another. There is no such thing as a trite essay subject, there are only trite essays. It's all about the writing, not the subject. Presented well, nothing is trite or cliched. Not too many high school kids are out there having unique experiences to write about. They are writing about how they handle their very real lives, which are probably similar to at least one other applicant in the stack of thousands of applications schools receive each year.</p>
<p>Unique isn't really the sole objective for your essay. Among the ones I submitted was one where I just sincerely shared about how I had callously revealed my gay friend's orientation (he had not yet "come out") and had to fight to retrieve our friendship. Is it unique? I don't think so. It was a story of how one person betrayed another's trust and efforts at mending a friendship. But it was sincere and with hindsight, showed a sense of self-awareness and character for a 17 year old. I was offered admission to all schools applied, eventually matriculating at an HYP. Your essay readers are looking to connect with you -- not necessarily have you reinvent the wheel.</p>
<p>First of all, to the original post, you absolutely do not have to apologize for offending someone who doesn't agree with the lifestyle. You aren't forcing it on them, and if they don't like the fact that you are asking a legitimate question that happens to deal with homosexuality/bisexuality, then they can just get over it, mmk?</p>
<p>I wrote my secondary essay on starting my school's GSA and the process of coming out and the opposition I faced in my family and community. I really liked it, and it was basically what set me apart when the regional newspaper selected me among the top 10 seniors out of 268 nominees. I think it also helped give me the edge to be admitted to seven top 20 schools, with early notification (likely letters) from Columbia, Rice, and Cornell. </p>
<p>Standing by itself, I don't think a person's sexuality is a significant factor in admissions. However, it is one of those situations that can spawn beautiful, poignant essays that can really make a difference. </p>
<p>Good luck, and feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions!</p>
<p>And remember: being gay isn't a "lifestyle." Please don't internalize homophobic cliches. It's simply part of who you are. In other words, it's part of your life.</p>
<p>Being openly gay doesn't really make you an URM these days (you might even be an over represented minority at most elite colleges, since the majority of elite schools tend to be pretty liberal, resulting in a higher than average number of gay students being out .... those would be interesting numbers to run....) so being gay alone is not a hook.</p>
<p>If you've actually been involved in gay rights politics or service organizations, those can be a hook, just like any EC that you devote yourself to. If you've been really discriminated against or faced hardships due to being gay, by all means, use those just as you would any other similar elements (one of my friends who was applying to transfer wrote his essay on how his family had disowned him when he came out, forcing him to become entirely financially independent (and homeless whenever the dorms closed for the holidays) before his 18th birthday, which made for a pretty strong essay.)</p>
<p>To answer the OP's question: Being gay will not get you a special colored tag on your application folder that will enable your application to be railroaded through the process (as would being a URM, legacy, or recruited athlete). So no, being gay is not a hook. Your app will have to slog it out with the other thousands of normal applications.</p>
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^ Ha, I am not shooting for Yale, but Dartmouth. I know Dartmouth is still mostly liberal, but there is more of a conservative influence than at other Ivys(correct me if I am wrong.)
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<p>People honestly say that, and I honestly don't think it's that much. When I was in Hanover, I met with the GSX (their version of a Gay-Straight Alliance) and they basically said that Dartmouth kids are pretty accepting of gays. </p>
<p>If it helps, I'm gay and attending Dartmouth. :)</p>
<p>i dont see why it wouldnt matter...sexual orientation is the same as someone's race. im hoping to get an extra hook because i'm black :) lol
which it should because the more diverse a school is the better right? i think so.</p>
<p>check out princeton online, not the school the site if you havent already. they rate a bunch of schools in all these diff. categories and one of them is acceptance of gays or something</p>