<p>I was thinking about the college admissions and application process and I am now wondering about what could be considered a "hook."
I always see people who have overcome adversity to get to where they are or spark their interest and that helps them. Usually these issues are on their own personal level, but, I don't really have any personal triumphs that are noteworthy.
So my question is this, can something that happened in your family that sparked your interest be a good hook? Say, in your admissions essay? (if it applies)</p>
<p>For instance, the summer before my sophomore year my father had open heart surgery, and heart disease runs in my family. That got me interested in biology and genetics.</p>
<p>Seems like an excellent essay topic. So long as your ECs line up with your passion and it seems sincere I’d say itd be excellent to write about. </p>
<p>However, I wouldn’t say that is a hook per se. Where did your parents go to college? Did your parents go to college? Are you a minority? Are you financially troubled? Are you a nationally recruited athlete? These are the most basic hooks, but there could be many more (IE being a celebrity, having a super rich parent donate a library, etc.)</p>
<p>Development of interest is a good, necessary thing to communicate. However, it’s not a hook. Hooks are often things that one can’t control - geographic location, ethnicity, legacy status, first generation college student, etc.</p>
<p>I think my EC’s line up. I have science club, and i am taking AP Bio as my second science class this year, and will take 2 AP Sciences next year. </p>
<p>In terms of making it into a hook, i guess it would only be good as a heartfelt essay that tells something about me as well, ahahaha. I mean, i guess it is something i can’t control–genetics. Other than that…only one parent finished college, i live in the suburbs of philly, not poor but not rich, white male. Not very different. haha</p>
<p>Personally, I think people on CC have misdefined a “hook.”</p>
<p>Here, the definition of the term “hook” seems to be something that you can’t control, but that a school is “looking for” because they for some reason have a shortage at the school. Underrepresented minorities, low-income students, legacy status, and Division-1 potential athletes are often cited as being hooks. Personally I detest this definition because I think it twists the understanding of the admissions process into something it is not; I think the only thing on the list that gives you a substantial chance of getting in if you are not qualified is being an athlete. Possibly, being a legacy, but only if your parent(s) is/are ACTIVE members of an alumni group and have a good bit of money that is more likely to go into the school’s coffers once you are admitted.</p>
<p>My personal definition of a hook is something that makes you more interesting and more memorable in the eyes of an admissions counselor who is reading your file. If you are applying to, say, Columbia – you are amoung nearly 30,000 other bright young high school seniors who are eager to get into the university. What is going to make you stand out amongst those 30,000? Being poor and being black or Latino won’t, really, because there are many other poor and black/Latino students who are very intelligent and have great grades. (Actually, I’m hoping that Columbia and its ilk has the class not to think that intelligent low-income/underrepresented students are anomalies.)</p>
<p>You ARE different; you’re different from everyone else who is applying. I mean, unless you’re applying to large public universities where really only the numbers matter…I think that your idea about writing about your father’s open-heart surgery is a good one. And if you really think about it, I bet that you do have some personal triumphs in your background. They don’t have to be HUGE triumphs like going to school despite working 70 hours a week to support your family or saving a busload of kids in rural India or raising three million dollars for a cancer charity or something. the VAST majority of applicants (and admitted students!) to top schools don’t have experiences like that.</p>
<p>It could be something that seems mundane to you. Take your father’s open-heart surgery. To you, it’s in the past, it’s over. But to me, that’s a <em>scary</em> thought. I think about how scared and anxious I would be for myself and my family if we had to go through that and suddenly I’m interested in hearing how you managed to get through (and maintain your good grades). If you think something can be a “hook,” think about how you can turn it into a riveting experience that makes the people reading it go “wow.”</p>
<p>Let’s get real. A father’s illness will NEVER be a hook no matter how you spin it. A good essay topic, maybe, if done well.</p>
<p>Clear hooks are being a recruited athlete, URM, legacy or development candidate. We know these folks have a much higher rate of admission. After that there are known tip factors: low income, first generation, under represented states/countries and other random things which meets an individual school’s needs.</p>
<p>It’s arguable that something truly world class can be a hook–say an Olympic medal or being a published author or an artist shown in major galleries. Those things are certainly of interest to many schools.</p>
<p>But everyone does not have a hook because they’re different.</p>
<p>I absolutely concur w/hmom. Applicants obviously should look to distinguish themselves – but one can’t spontaneously develop a “hook” – in my def’n, something that confers a measurable advantage because the school is actively searching for them.</p>
<p>Some oddball situations may exist. For example, a predominantly woman’s college is looking to balance gender so they admit men for favorably. Or perhaps a college is looking to infuse its Nursing program with more male candidates. They could actively advertise or entice applicants. These do exist but are pretty narrow and one would have to search for them.</p>
<p>I completely understand what you guys mean.
However, can’t we say that a hook is something that draws the admissions officer in?
Now i am not necessarily trying to push the fact that my story is a hook, I really don’t care what it is considered, as I feel it would be a strong essay topic that explains my interest in science, but isn’t a hook really anything that draws them in and makes them get you?
I mean, some people have overcome adversity but it hasn’t shaped them really, they just are able to say it. I know that there are people that are the opposite and their troubles HAVE shaped them.
I think that what juillet says is true. Shouldn’t a hook be defined as anything that makes you different or that helps to shape you that isn’t run-of-the-mill?</p>
<p>I have a question about writing an application essay. I am currently a junior, and of course thinking about colleges and the admission process. I’m not exactly sure what to write about in the application essay. I know the basics of what the essay needs to be but wanted to ask a few opinions…I have grown being raised by just my mother (definitely not a great income) and have had 18 surgeries so far. I was thinking about writing something about the people/other children I have met and what they have taught me while in the hospital. This sounds really bad as I’m typing it cause I don’t want to sound like I’m whining, or being the “please feel bad for me” type. Would this be almost too personal to put in my essay or could I turn this into something goof? I mean, like I said, I don’t want anyone to have pity, but I’m just trying to come up with some ideas. Thanks</p>
<p>With all of these stories, it’s all about the twist you put on the essay. If it’s unusual and brilliantly written, it can certainly win you points. Then again, keep in mind what a UVA admissions officer recently wrote on these boards–applicants can be complimented on their brilliant essay and then not get in.</p>
<p>From just reading CC, you can see that there are numerous kids who have been ill, have had sick parents and every situation imaginable. If this has shaped you in great ways and you can communicate that, great!</p>
<p>However, as an adcom years ago I and my peers got very tired of reading the “I want to be an oncologist because my mom had cancer” essays. While there would be some that worked this kind of thought into telling us this in a framework that was enlightening, most did not accomplish that. While you want to be empathetic and caring, many kids have decided to become doctors after the illness of someone close to them and most of their essays read pretty similarly.</p>
<p>But the major point is that either way, this is not a hook when the definition of hook is something that will significantly increase your chance of being accepted. And the problem is that most 17/18 year olds are unaware of what is run or the mill and what isn’t.</p>
<p>Let’s be clear: there is a very specific things which are considered hooks. These are being a URM, recruited athlete, low-income student, legacy or development candidate.</p>
<p>In many ways, hook is a misnomer. These are specific things which automatically change your chances of admission: even if they DIDN’T influence you as a person.</p>
<p>That is not to say that many other things can’t help you. Other experience (such as illness) can make strong essay topics, especially if they are integrated into the theme of the application. They’re helpful, but they’re not hooks.</p>
<p>I have a question about the supposed low-income hook – is it really a hook? Although I think it is pretty clear that colleges have started to recognize that the socio-economic disparities may be a bigger adversity to overcome than say perhaps being a URM, I don’t think most colleges put it as high a level as URM, recruited athlete, or even legacy. Probably a bit unfair, but that’s not the point of this thread…so to my main question: For need-blind schools (i.e. top schools, ivys, etc.), how would being low-income factor into admissions? How would it be a hook if they never get to see the student’s financial condition (assuming the student does not incorporate it into their essay or additional information page)?</p>
<p>Being low-income definitely isn’t as strong of a hook as URM, but it can help. Colleges love to hear stories of students from very low-income situations rising above this to succeed academically. It could be integrated into the essay, but otherwise need-blind schools wouldn’t pay too much attention.</p>
<p>That’s what I figured. I guess I won’t be getting that boost lol. I didn’t mention anything about my family’s financial situation since I didn’t want to come off as a sob story of sorts. I used my essay to write something that was interesting to me at the time. So much for individuality lol…probably wasn’t the smartest choice. </p>
<p>And to the OP, I think you can definitely use your story to write a very compelling and memorable essay. However, I doubt it would have as much pull as the traditional college hooks (athlete, URM, legacy, development, etc.). The thing is that while your story is nevertheless unique, you can always count on many others around the nation to have a similarly unique story to tell. As the saying goes, “it is not what you write, but how you write it.” I guess this would perhaps apply to everyone’s writing. Either way, it should not deter you from using your story to give admissions a more complete picture of you.</p>