<p>I've heard a lot of talk about how a "hook" is very helpful at getting into the Ivies. I've heard so many different versions of what kinds of things a hook might be, so I am taking this opportunity to inquire: what exactly constitutes a hook?</p>
<p>the most common hooks are: Underrepresented minorities, athletes, legacies, developmental admits, celebrities, children of the powerful (senators, presidents, etc)</p>
<p>However, this is how my friend marite describes a hook on the thread:</p>
<p>NYC Moms/Dads: Is It Possible to Get Into HYP From NYC Without a Hook? </p>
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I would say a hook is what gets an application into the definite admit pile, not the "hmmm.... worth another look; let's discuss" or the " quarter finals" or "semi-finals." Hooks can be different for different colleges. A star quarterback with ho-hum stats won't be hooked at a college that has no football team, for instance. A $1 million donor's kid might be hooked at some colleges but not at others (someone told me a while ago that it now takes something like $5million to endow a chair at Harvard; I think it is possible to endow chairs for less than $1 million at lots of colleges still). An Asian-American kid would have a higher chance of getting into some highly selective small NE LACs than into a top UC, for instance. Such a kid might have as good a chance as an African-American or Hispanic (that's the impression we got 8 years ago when we first did college tours).
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<p>Some colleges like having people from all 50 states--so in the Northeast or South being from Wyoming or Montana can be a "hook". Or being against the expected type on a certain campus --a Jewish kid from Long Island might be "hooked" better at Notre Dame than at Brandeis. Of course, you would still need competitive stats to back up the application in such cases.</p>
<p>Being the first in your family to attend college can be a hook too at colleges seeking social-economic diversity--this includes some Ivies and top schools...</p>
<p>Being male at colleges that used to be all women and now want to be more balanced coed campuses-- Wells, Goucher, Wheaton...</p>
<p>pyewacket, there has been a ton of debate on whether first generation is a hook and all top colleges have said no, it's a tip factor. Very different.</p>
<p>Could a hook be something like a rural student from an area that usually doesn't send anyone to the elites?</p>
<p>Do you think attending a ghetto school in Hawaii is a hook?</p>
<p>Rural students with great potential can be viewed as good hooks under "socio-economic" diversity thinking. I know that some top Ivies actively are culling for good applicants from rural areas. </p>
<p>Ilpitch: a high performing student from a lesser HS might be a hook. Certainly that applicant can be viewed as excelled in a challenging environment -- that's worth something. However, it's also possible that the change of environment might be so radically different (e.g. Hawaiian poor HS student goes to a top LAC or Ivy) that the adcoms might shy away -- leaving that student to get the full ride state school scholarship instead. Yep. It happens. Is it paternalistic? Yes. But it might be seen as best for the student and the student's dependent family.</p>
<p>collegekid100, what's the difference between a "hook" and "tip factor"?</p>
<p>Interesting responses. I've heard a lot about "hooks" and this actually suprised me a bit- they seem powerful. I hope I have a hook or two up my sleve.</p>
<p>Coming to US a year or two ago and doing pretty good enough--is that a hook?</p>
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Jewish kid from Long Island might be "hooked" better at Notre Dame than at Brandeis
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<p>Jews are EXTREMELY over-represented at top colleges, but they can't do anything about it, because it would be politically incorrect to turn religion into a factor.</p>
<p>Would a prospective major in classics be considered a (small) hook, if I've done well in the few Latin classes my school offers, and took an independent study in Ancient Greek? Not for the Ivies, but good LAC's and smaller universities. Regardless I'll still obviously plan to major in classics, but hey, if it can help, all the better.</p>
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Coming to US a year or two ago and doing pretty good enough--is that a hook?
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Would a prospective major in classics be considered a (small) hook
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No and no. The first one I think for obvious reasons; and the second because people change majors in college and what you say you want to go in as has nothing to do with admissions.</p>
<p>If you had a hook, you would know. If you have to question it or ask about it, it's probably not a hook.</p>
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what you say you want to go in as has nothing to do with admissions.
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<p>One college admissions officer admitted to me that my son would have an easier time getting in with an expressed interest in an underreppresented program. May not be true for all schools, but still...</p>
<p>an asian kid's app. in Brigham Young can be a hook, where it has more than 90% of population as Mormons.</p>
<p>hook= you're in
tip factor = plus to your case/file</p>