<p>What are "hooks"?</p>
<p>things that pirates have on their arms in the place of a hand
also something that will boost your chance of getting into college! :D</p>
<p>lol...basically something that'll make you stand out in the pool of fabulous applicants (ie URM, football quarterback...)</p>
<p>It's more than something that makes you stand out. A hook is something that you are, some quality that you have, that is of benefit to the university and makes you more desirable.</p>
<p>Some hooks: URM, legacy, very wealthy, famous, son or daughter of someone wealthy or famous, or some terrific achievement way beyond what regular acomplished people can achieve --> e.g. writing a best seller or winning the Olympics, etc.</p>
<p>People often confuse hooks with ECs. A hook is something that you are; An EC is something that you do. They are not the same concept. Some ECs: music, art, student government, dance, sports, clubs, church, most leadership positions, community service, etc.</p>
<p>It's very hard to develop a hook. For the most part you've either got one or you don't. Either you are a URM or you are not; your dad is filthy rich or he's not, etc.</p>
<p>"It's very hard to develop a hook."</p>
<p>USACO, USPhO, UNSCO, USABO, MOP---all of these math and science camps can be hooks....</p>
<p>ALso, RSI can be considered a hook.</p>
<p>dont these schools have enough math and science geeks?</p>
<p>Yeah, but the national camps are damn hard to get into, so they are a big deal...</p>
<p>I think a hook is one very big accomplishment (like being a famous actor or being in the Olympics) or a set of characteristics that is uncommon to the general applicant pool and 'needed' at the school. What is considered a hook this year, may not be next year. I don't think being a URM is a hook, but definitely a tip factor. Those science camps are also perhaps tip factors but not hooks since so many applicants to the Ivy League schools seemed to have attended them.</p>
<p>worldshopper, you're wrong</p>
<p>I never said I was right, I was just commenting on what I believe is considered a hook. Is that not the purpose of a discussion to obtain different views and opinions? What do you feel is a hook?</p>
<p>I think of a hook as the whip cream topper on an ice cream sundae. You go to an ice cream parlor, and you see a bunch of excellent ice creams. Basically all of them are the same (they are all cold, have the same base ingredients etc.) Some have nicer ingredients like nuts or chocolate chips when compared with plain vanilla, but basically they are all the same. If one of those ice creams comes with whip cream however, and the others do not, you of course pick the one with the whip cream. Bascially they ivy league gets apps from a lot of vanilla ice creams and often from fancier kinds of ice cream as well. When the adcoms have to make the choice between Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge and Mocha Java Blast it gets difficult, but if one comes with whip cream and chocolate syrup, and the other doesnt, they choice becomes obvious. Most of the Ivy leage applicants are all qualified to do the work. they are all 2100 top 10%ers. this makes them vanilla. Then you have the 2300 validictorians who are the fancier flavors. All the chocolate chips and nuts are your ec's. when it comes down to choosing between to equally good ice creams, the whip cream can make the difference. Ice cream is good, but ice cream with whip cream on top is excellent. </p>
<p>Also, you dont need to be born with a hook. you can accel in your favorite ec and that can be your hook. I ran a marathon, and that is the closest thing i have to a hook. some people say its not a hook, but even so, im sure the adcom will be impressed (at least a little) and that may tip my app in the right direction. dont rely on whip cream to fill all the bowl, but when you add it to an already excellent ice cream, you have an acceptance.</p>
<p>having an incredibly hot girlfriend</p>
<p>Shark_bite, that was a thoroughly pleasant and enlightening read :D</p>
<p>That's great zackalacka87 -- then maybe she should apply.</p>
<p>i said she's hot, i didnt say she was gonna cure cancer</p>
<p>cured the common cold, 'cause I'm that good.</p>
<p>~ss sister again~</p>
<p>well, you may have cured the common cold ss sister, but are you hot?....</p>
<p>mocha java blast, definitely</p>
<p>psssh, yeah right...vanilla all the way...i love tons of sprinkles though....vanilla custard, and the way you prepare it is you pour it into your platter level by level and add sprinkles at every level, so you have sprinkles throughout the custard....i like to put some at the bottom of the bowl before i start pouring too</p>
<p>Well, thank you all for clearing it up for me. While reading this, I was just reminded of a friend of mine who knows a Professor in one of the Ivies. Apparently, this Professor has quite a high opinion of her, and so she is getting an additional reccomendation from him when she applies to this particular Ivy. Now does that classify as a "hook", or will it have little or no effect?</p>