Can someone thoroughly explain what a ‘good’ hook is in college apps? For example, my parents are Vietnamese refugees that fled from communist Vietnam (mom was part of the “boat people”), would that be a good hook?
Hook = Recruited athlete, URM with high stats, Legacy who has donated a building. What you have is an interesting story that you can use to help.
The hook you have is that as an Asian, you are considered a URM at some midwestern schools where diversity is in limited supply. Your parent’s story is not your hook. Even if you personally had been the refugee, it would not be a hook. The other possible hook is ‘first generation to college.’ If your parents attended college in Vietnam, it is not a hook. But if they did not attend college, that would also give you a very small additional boost.
Now, zither-players on the other hand are hot commodities everywhere. I would go with that. (Just teasing. But an interesting EC if true.)
Maybe it was a hook for your mother, if/when she applied to colleges. Colleges want to know about you, not your mother (don’t make this mistake in writing college essays - the focus is on you, not the parents, grandparents, etc).
Wouldn’t most of what people call “hooks” be small bumps that may not necessarily apply to that many schools, other than relation to huge donor or other important (to the college) person and recruited athlete? The URM one in particular seems to be getting de-emphasized in general, but it seems to be overrated as a “hook” by most people posting here (both the URMs themselves and the people who resent any such preference).
Vietnamese probably is not seen as URM at many colleges where Vietnamese applicants tend to apply anyway.
I agree that “hooks” are probably overrated. “Small bumps” may be more accurate in most cases.
In the OP’s case, I think the big question is to what extent his/her parent’s refugee status had a direct effect on his/her development. It might range from huge to none. Anything which directly caused adversity and had to be overcome is going to be a positive, and can be discussed in essays to make the applicant stand out, even if not a “hook”. OTOH, if it only affected the parents and not the applicant, then it’s irrelevant.
My younger son was a special needs adoption from China. He was abandoned at age 1 and spent 3 years in an institutional orphanage, and was malnourished and developmentally delayed when he got him. He has thrived here, and has shown the ability to overcome physical issues (scoliosis and a connective tissue disorder, despite which he is on a competitive soccer team) and developmental hurdles. Those may not be a “hook”, but they will certainly help him down the road when it comes time to write his college essays.
Thanks!
haha @ N’s Mom, yes I am in fact a Chinese zither player 
^^ How good are you? Can you send in a video supplement? The zither might differentiate you from everyone else.