So I’m completely new to ALL of this Prep school admission business but have been interested in reading others’ experiences here in this forum! I’m interested in understanding what a “hook” might be for these schools. Does it simply mean anything that the school might be attracted to? Does it have to be within a certain category, i.e. sports, music, etc.? Sorry if this seems so rudimentary, my child is the very first in the family to go through this process so I’m learning every day!
A hook is something that fills an institutional need. For some, it could be that they are a legacy (and preferably, the offspring of a big donor). If the school recruits for sports and the coach feels that your child would be an “impact player” - i.e., would be on varsity as a major contributor freshman year, that could be a hook. If the school is trying to increase diversity (racial, geographic, etc.) and you fall into one of those buckets, that could be a hook.
For most kids, most of the “special” things that they do or are will make their applications more interesting and compelling but will not necessarily be hooks. Put differently, if your child is a good student, plays the oboe, and is a swimmer – that’s going to make for a good application, but they won’t be hooks unless the school has basically given the orchestra director or swim coach the chance to designate a student as the one they need.
For all the talk of hooks and the anxiety that can produce as a prospective applicant, most kids who are accepted are strong candidates without “hooks”. You have come to the right place to ask all these questions!!
If you are wondering what a hook is, probably you don’t have it, like vast majority of accepted students don’t.
Hooks are (in relative order of importance):
- Development
- Faculty child
- Impact athlete
- Legacy
- URM
There are others as well depending on the school. For example at a Quaker school regularly attending meeting. But the major hooks are listed above.
^^At a Quaker school, it would be
- Being involved in the life of your meeting.
- Faculty child
- Legacy
Period.
Thanks for giving me a chuckle, @sgopal2 !
:))
@gardenstategal Perfect! That was exactly what I needed-- thank you! Now I have a much better understanding and it’s not necessarily what I first thought, so I’m glad I asked. I appreciate you taking time to answer.
@SculptorDad you might actually be wrong in your assumption. I’m still learning about this process but that doesn’t mean my child doesn’t fit one of the ‘boxes’
@sgopal2 thank you for chiming in also, much appreciated!
@SkysTheLimit2007
Of course I might be. I wish good luck for your child. But you really don’t need to fit one of the hook boxes for admission.
No, I know. I was more curious than anything because I kept reading about it in so many posts. I am glad I asked the question though, thank you.