<p>"I think that frank, unabashed honesty about a college and about yourself might be a refreshing change of pace for the admissions officer reading your file. That might help distinguish you from many other similar applicants. </p>
<p>What do the rest of you think about honesty as a hook?"</p>
<p>I am baffled that this question is posted. I am an alum interviewer for Harvard, and I expect students to be honest.When students are not honest (and I have caught students in lies), I do note that in my interview report.</p>
<p>Being “honest” doesn’t mean blathering about anything that strikes your fancy. For instance, if one of the reasons that a student partiicipated in an EC because their romantic partner was in it, that’s not something to mention in an interview. Presumably, the student also had some other reasons for belonging to the organization or found other reasons once the student joined, and those are what the student should mention in an interview. Talking about the romantic partner would seem silly, and would not be a hook.</p>