Hi everyone,
So as you all know when one applies to boarding schools, it is a good thing to have a hook. Last year, I didn’t particularly have one. However, this summer I interned for a Presidential Campaign. When I did, I realized that the thing I am most passionate about is political activism. Last admission cycle, I showed interest in politics, but I had much more passion for reading/writing. I have no great hook; however, this year mine might be political activism. I will also be interning for my Congresswoman this Spring/Summer. I was wondering if it looks bad to change passions within one year? Also, is this very common? I know that it’s a stretch to get into any school and would be a blessing, but I’m hoping it’s a bit more of a rarity than reading/writing. Could political activism be considered a hook? To note, I’m from Las Vegas, which is by no means underrepresented but I’m hoping it’s a bit less than other places to help. I also am a Freshman applying for a spot in my Sophomore year. Thank you!
A 'hook is something that fills an institutional need. If the school needs a hockey goalie or a oboe player and you are one of those things, that could be a hook. If your family donates a lot of money to the school, your admission will likely keep those dollars coming in, so your legacy status is a hook. If the school is trying to diversify its student body and you help do that – including by coming from a place that is underrepresented in the student body, that’s a hook. So coming from NV could help.
Political activism is an interest or a passion. That is not a hook, but it shows that you are engaging in what interests you and finding ways to learn outside the classroom. That makes you a stronger candidate. And changing, finding, and developing passions at your age is what bright, engaged young people do, so no, having been open to something, having pursued it, and having liked it is hardly going to be viewed negatively.
BTW, I would guess that this hasn’t supplanted you interest in reading and writing but has given it some direction, right? You might want to think about how you’ve tied those together. What are you reading? What are you writing?
The one thing I’d counsel against is doing things because you think it’ll help you get into school/college. In most cases, it’s easy to spot when someone isn’t being authentic, so follow your heart and your interests. Stop every now and then and ask yourself, “if it were entirely up to me, is this how I’d be spending my time?” Because here’s the thing – if you do what really excites you, there WILL be a cogent story there to tell about who you are and how you spend your time and why you’ve made the decisions you have. Good luck to you!
I definitely LOVE political activism! That is something I really want to do with my life, so it’s definitely not for admissions. But thank you for the information and advice @gardenstategal
Being a political activist, and also from NV could definitely help. But they are not hooks. Have you considered applying as a repeat freshman? Higher chances of admission
@ivydreamer01 Exeter has a large population of kids from Las Vegas- I think 22 are current students. The admissions team has many events in the area and it definitely helps to attend these and make contact. There are many opportunities to be engaged with politics at Exeter as well as at most of the top prep schools.
Thank you for the advice @sgopal2 I have considered it, however I just do not wish to repeat Freshman year. I have also heard that 2/3 of repeats are athletic recruits. Though I’m not terrible at tennis, I’m by no means a prodigy. Also, @vegas1 I saw that many of the schools will not be visiting Vegas this year, though I will check. And I even emailed one of the admissions officers who I was interviewed by and asked him for some advice on reapplying. The only problem he gave me was my math SSAT scores. Sorry, very off topic, however I’m hoping that’s a good sign that I didn’t have any major flaws aside from my (admittedly) very low SSAT scores. Thank you for all the advice everyone!
Also, @vegas1 @sgopal2 though I’m by no means the first person to be interested in politics, is that something that might perchance be just a bit more uncommon than some other applicants.
@ivydreamer01: There are several political clubs at Choate that might pique your interest, but I would not say that interest in politics or heavy political activity would make you a standout there. Your activism will be counted as an EC and the depth of your experience will speak to the authenticity of your interest.
Awesome advice! Thank you @ChoatieMom could I find those clubs on their website (have not gotten their viewbook yet)
What was your previous SSAT score?
When a non-sport EC is so strong, I would think it becomes a pseudo-hook. Never really a hook. But can work like a hook when a school wants to diversify or develop that particular area. My daughter had college level visual art skill and achievement before 9th grade, and can significantly strengthen a boarding school’s visual art competitions profile - Scholastic, YoungArts, etc. It was very helpful in boarding school admission, although not as much as playing a needed varsity team position would, which is a real hook.
Volunteering for elections in middle school seems interesting and rare. What is your level of involvement and achievement? Is it something any kid could do by spending a few hours per week during Summer if she wanted? Or was there some sort of step up, significant contribution/achievement, or a hard-to-get opportunity?
@sgopal2 my overall percentile was 88/89, however I scored high in reading and verbal but my quantitative was, let’s just say below 80. And @SculptorDad to be more specific, I worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign. Don’t know your political beliefs, however, neither Donald Trump nor Gary Johnson or Jill Stein really have ground campaigns, although volunteering for Hill seems to be super easy. And this summer, I spent 42 hours a week when I was not out of town. They also do screen for fellowships and such. So unless this is something she’s truly passionate about, I would recommend just volunteering. All field organizers and organizing directors, etc. are incredibly kind at my campaign and though there won’t be any elections this summer (although the beginnings of some will start) Campaigns during Mid-Term years will most likely start hiring in summer 2018. 
@ivydreamer01, Thanks for advise. My dd is already in a boarding school from this Fall. I was asking about you. It seems you were very heavily involved. Maybe you could focus your essays around that experience to capitalize it?
Mine considered volunteering for Hillary this Summer, but she choose to relax her last vacation before boarding school instead, and really worked on reviewing her math, so she could be well prepared for the advanced math course she was going to take in the Fall.
She completed Aleks’ online Algebra II course during later half of her Summer, by studying 3~4 hours daily. Lack of practice has always been her weak point in math, but it is no more.
But if she was going to apply to bs for next year, she could have volunteered and used that for essays, because she has been very interested in elections too. I see no reason to not consider bs/college applications at all while volunteering, as long as it is not the sole/major reason for the political activism.
Mine got 67 and 86 (10 months later) on her two SSAT math sections, while getting high 90s on other sections on both tests. If she takes it again now, which is 10 months after the second test, probably she will get high 90s on math too. Reading and verbal scores are harder to change, but math is a section that you can really shine by learning and practicing.
Thank you @SculptorDad I have definitely incorporated that into my essays. That is also great, and quite frankly, I probably would’ve relaxed this summer if I was going to BS as well 
and I definitely do love it, although it is nice to have for applications lol >:D< and I thankfully am actively practicing for math by using practice books as well as taking practice tests. Am scoring in low 70’s percentile on practice tests 
however, I’m definitely hoping to improve! Thanks for the advice, and I can only hope to score in your daughter’s range
@ivydreamer01, based on my daughter experience, and you seem to have a similar profile on SSAT, I think repeating practice tests has certain limit. It initially let you score higher by letting you to accustomed to the test. But beyond that, it’s not as effective. Without strong basic understanding, you don’t get strong grasp of concept by reviewing solution section of questions you missed. You feel like you got it. But you didn’t. And you miss the same type of questions again and again.
Therefore I think what seems slower - going back to basic - was more effective using Alesks.com One thing I like Aleks is that it lets you master each concept sufficiently and periodically review it so that you can actually solve it when it comes to the test, and let you focus on the problems that you need. You can check it out with free trial.
https://www.aleks.com/free_trial/consumer
On the other hand, a practice SSAT test becomes less efficient because you are 1/3 time needlessly repeating what you already mastered, 1/3 time wasted on what you are not ready to learn, and only 1/3 time is efficiently used where you can actually see the improvement.
One way of maximizing the efficiency of Aleks is choosing Algebra II even though SSAT math doesn’t cover it. Because you can just focus on the first section of Algebra II is actually a concise review section for Algebra I and Geometry with about 80 topics as I remember, that can be fully reviewed in 2 months by studying about an hour per day. This would be better because the Summer is gone and you won’t have time to study full Algebra I and Geometry courses until December SSAT test.
Studying Algebra II courses’s review for previous courses section, because it is concise, may never cover some advanced concepts that would be covered by studying full Algebra I and Geometry courses. But you can score 90+ without them. Aleks charges about $20/mo, which I think is totally worth. And you would only need it for 2 months.
After the review, you can re-test with the sample practice tests 1~2 times, Make a separate note for the questions you missed that time, and keep reviewing them and take the December test. I recommend IVY Global’s practices. They are very representative to the real tests, and one is offered for free on the publisher’s website;
http://downloads.ivyglobal.com/ssat/upper_test_1/ssat_upper_level_test_1.pdf
Another free if you don’t need the answer sheet.
http://downloads.ivyglobal.com/ssat/previews/ssat_practice_preview_1_3.pdf
Good luck.
Thank you so much! That is so kind of you and I’m so psyched to try it out. I hope your daughter has a great year at BS! @SculptorDad
@SculptorDad should I try Algebra 2 alone or Algebra 2 w/ Trig
About repeating 9th grade, why wouldn’t you like it? At some schools it will be so harder that you would feel better to repeat 9th. At other schools you can simply take more advanced courses. For example my daughter is taking two AP courses at 9th - AP ES and AP Micro. It’s easier to get in, and you will be better qualified for colleges with both academics and one more Summer internship.
Interesting… @SculptorDad, would it be appropriate to talk to admission officers and ask what they recommend? I personally would like to continue with the track I’m on, and I’m also a bit old for my grade. I would be a few months away from being 20 at graduation if I repeated. Thanks!
Doesn’t matter for this purpose. Because you won’t be actually studying the Algebra 2 for the SSAT. Both of them come with the same “rerview” section that concisely reviews Algebra 1 and Geometry. And that’s what you want to study for the SSAT for maximum score increase with the given time.
But, if you think you have a possibility of continuing beyond SSAT prep, which may be a good idea, then I recommend Algebra 2 w/ Trig. It is exactly the same saction with Algebra 2 alone with just an added section at the end. You don’t even have to touch the Trig section if you don’t fee like. So there is no loss.