Do I have a "HOOK?" Help me find it! lol

Applying to College
1

<p>Snapshot of my acadmics. Very strong grades (all As...won't list out each course for ya)</p>

<p>Female, Age 16, Buffalo, NY, White
Estimated Class Rank: 10-20/275ish
GPA: 4.0 unweighted, 96/100
SAT: M: 640 V: 730 W: 730 (1370/2100)
SAT II: US History: 680 (OUCH! RETAKE!!)
Total APs by graduation: 6
So far, AP scores: AP European (4)</p>

<p>Extra curriculars: </p>

<p>Freshman year:
~ Class President
~ Principal's Advisory Council
~ Pep Club, Ambassadors' Circle, a couple others...can't remember...
~ JV Cheerleading (Most Improved award, lol)
~ Community service program (25ish hours over summer)
~ Latin award: Summa cumma laude - National Latin Exam</p>

<p>Sophomore year:
~ Student Congress representative
~ Principal's Advisory Council
~ Student Recognition Council (secretary)
~ Environmental Club (secretary)
~ SADD (Officer of Publicity)
~ Best Buddies (Officer of Publicity)
~ JV Cheerleading (MVP award)
~ Town of **** Supervisor's Youth Council
~ Community service program (50-ish hours)
~ Youth Consortium (promoting leadership and wise choices in younger teens)
~ Awards:
~ NY State winner of Essay Contest
~ Published in Parade Magazine: fresh voices
~ Featured: "Someone You Should Know": town newspaper
~ National Latin Exam: Silver Medal
~ Kodak Young Leaders Award
~ HOBY Youth Conference (summer)
~ National Young Leaders Conference (summer) (Assistant Majority Leader of Model Congress)</p>

<p>Junior year:
~ Co-President of Environmental Club
~ Vice-President of SADD Club
~ Student Congress Executive Board
~ Principal's Advisory Council
~ Student Recognition Council
~ Youth voting member of Town Board
~ Youth Consortium
~ Community service program: from summer 2004-present: 100+ hours
~ National Honor Society (maybe President -- running next week)
~ Varsity Cheerleading
~ Keynote Speaker: Junior National Young Leaders Conference
~ Girls State Nominee
~ 2006 NY State winner Lewis and Clark essay contest
Won: all expenses paid trip to North Dakota to learn about Indian heritage and walk the trails of Lewis and Clark.</p>

<p>~ WORK: Busser at restaraunt (May 2005-present, 12 hours a week)
Only member of family employed at moment due to father's cancer
Hostess at another restaraunt (Jan. 2006-present, 7-8 hours a week)
Intern at law office for summer 2006 (total 55 hours)
^ Will try and get an actual job there for senior year</p>

<p>Also, neither parent went to college...if that helps?</p>

<p>There's my ECs...do I have a "hook?" I know I seem to be all over the place. I just like leadership a lot. So I'm into a wide variety of stuff...with just leadership positions or the groups I'm in advocate for leadership development in younger teens. But that's a little ordinary. What else do you see that makes me stand out from everyone else that I can focus on for admissions?</p>

2

<p>Looks like your a typical to my friends. But I do see something pretty cool...the latin stuff on there.</p>

3

<p>1st gen is somewhat of a hook. And it'd help if you elaborated on supporting your family in the application.</p>

4

<p>Uh, I'd say that the bajillion ECs you have might qualify as a bit of a hook...</p>

5

<p>Ok, I'll make a possible list.
1.) First generation
2.) Latin stuff (? not really interested in just happened to be sorta good at)
3.) Supporting the family (definitely will elaborate on impact of dad's cancer on me and my family, etc in app)</p>

<p>I don't think a "bajillion ECs" is a hook, lol. That's my problem...there's just so many and so much...variety. A hook is like the kid that loves politics and did 20,000 things related to politics and won an award for his activism and had an article published in some political magazine. I'm just all over the place.</p>

6

<p>Im not sure about a hook, but its definitely clear you're a leader and a hardworker. Maybe it's not a hook, but its...hook-ish? I think you're fine for most colleges, honestly.</p>

7

<p>yeah the whole hook idea is a little overrated imho. you will be just fine.</p>

8

<p>You don't need to focus in one area completely if you've shown defined interest in several things. You don't need one "hook".</p>

9

<p>i'm looking at UVA OOS and Vanderbilt...these aren't just "most colleges." I feel like I lack a focus that they will remember.</p>

10

<p>I think they are just most colleges. I think you're in at both.</p>

11

<p>Raise your scores, especially for Virginia. You don't need a hook.</p>

12

<p>how much higher? i worked my butt off to raise my math from 550 PSAT to 640 SAT. Taking again in october. getting a 700 would be impossible.</p>

13

<p>Well, im glad to see you're optimistic!</p>

<p>Honestly, if you study, you can raise it another 60 points. But anyway...i dont think you need to raise the score. I truly think you can get in anyway.</p>

14

<p>lol thanks. i got the big blue book. do like a bagillion practice tests...</p>

15

<p>i'd say HOBY, North Dakota, and 1st Generation college are your hooks.</p>

16

<p>Thanks for some specifics, jimbob. (HOBY?!)</p>

<ul>
<li>If I had to pick them out myself, I'd pick out my writing contest winnings (including north dakota), Dad's cancer, and being the Keynote Speaker at a national leadership conference.
^^^ Are these not that great though?</li>
</ul>