<p>Would starting a web design company and keeping it alive for three years (albeit struggling) working around three hours a week on weekends be considered a hook? The focus of supplemental essay is my business interest.</p>
<p>I don't think so...people here would have like actual companies...I'm not even kidding (from what I've heard).</p>
<p>Um it is really helpful. I don't exactly know what qualifies something as a hook exactly, but definitely list it because it will help your chances.</p>
<p>glucose, haukim apparently had a real web design company. That's definitely a respectable business. I can tell you for sure that I've never owned my own business.</p>
<p>What do you mean "actual company"? Because a biz is small it's not a real company?</p>
<p>It's not a hook as nothing is, but it's impressive. I have my own two small businesses (fixing computers/networking is one; lawn care the other).</p>
<p>List it! Ya...but don't count on that getting you in, that is all I was saying.</p>
<p>It's very tricky to label what's a "hook" and what isn't. It's a darn good EC, hook or not. It will work in your favor.</p>
<p>yea you'll definately have a shot to get in. If you have the grades and did well on standardized tests.</p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
<p>7/10 high school business that i've seen so far are webdesigning ones. no, that's not a hook.</p>
<p>its a really good ec</p>
<p>its not a "hook" but it'll definitely help your app</p>
<p>good job. you definitely have a chance.</p>
<p>Thanks! I was hoping that the web business + my supplemental essay + a major project I did for a technology firm will show my passion for business. Hopefully that coupled with a few more ECs, decent grades and test scores will give me a decent shot.</p>
<p>an EASC applicant from UK who sold his company to ESPN was deferred. So, there we go.</p>
<p>I don't know if the statistic is valid, "7/10 high school business that i've seen so far are webdesigning ones. no, that's not a hook." but I agree. I feel bad because I feel like it seems as if other people think I'm telling you you have no chance or isn't helping you. It is something nice to add to the application, but isn't something that will separate you, unless it sells like llamas and is a booming business. Of course, I don't have a business, so I applaud you for that, but it is just like another job.</p>
<p>ok, of course that stat is not bang on, but i'm not lying about the insane number of high school students having web designing businesses. Basically, if you take a webdesigning course in school, you can open one of these. and a surprisngly large number of students do. one guy in my school has one of these and he has grossed over 3000 so far. Also, if you dont' believe me, just read thru all those past decision threads, i bet you'd find a few.</p>
<p>i'm a little unclear as to how "profound" a hook has to be. As for me, I'm a black belt in Karate, and write for my community newspaper. I also play some tennis and sing in a hard-to-get-into choir group. waddya think?</p>
<p>There isn't anything special about that.</p>
<p>My friend is a black belt that went to nationals. Community paper might as well be the school newspaper. Tennis - - - everyone is in that. I'm in Varsity Choir. </p>
<p>It's not to say that you should stop doing them! Write about them if you are passionate about them, but they aren't something Harvard is going to stop and say, "Oh my god! that is so cool!"</p>
<p>On how "profound" a hook has to be? At Harvard, it's got to be either really odd or national level. At other schools, not that much.</p>
<p>I'm thinking of putting down "Paintballing" and "Mudding" on my resume. IDK if it's rare, but I love it and it may show another side of me.</p>
<p>I know this isn't the right thread for legacy questions, but does Harvard look at legacy students any differently than other Ivies? I'm curious because I happen to have legacy at Harvard </p>
<p>thanks alot for your time!</p>
<p>There's no arbitrary line defining "hook" and even a national-level thing might not be one. A "hook" is something that sets you apart from all but a few people in the applicant pool, something that makes you truly special. For example, my hook was astronomy because I'm one of a very few high school students in the country (and certainly one of a tiny number of Harvard applicants, if not the only one) doing high-level astronomy research, getting published and going to conferences, etc., and I made it clear on the application how astronomy's been my passion since I was a little kid and going to H will help me on the way to a very successful career in research. National-level awards have only sort of "validated" my claims. So that's what a hook is, and not everyone has one (otherwise it wouldn't be a hook ;))--what sets you apart?</p>
<p>There are no hooks... only "unique identifying marks" in my opinion.</p>
<p>Oh, it's all semantics :p But go tell Captain Hook he has a "uniquely identifying mark" on his right hand. I'm sure he would really appreciate that.</p>