Hooks : What hooks do you have? How important are they?

Applying to College
1

<p>Well, I am not exactly a stellar SAT taker (still haven taken the test, but my mock tests are only about 2050), but I do have some hooks</p>

<p>Do you think that stellar hooks outweigh or cancel out bad numerical scores?</p>

<p>My hook is that I've lived abroad for over 11 years in 6 different countries. My homeland is S. Korea where I lived just 5 years. I lived in Argentina, Dominican Republic, Spain, Mexico, Guatemala.
I can speak 3 different languages (Spanish, English, Korean) and I can use them as if I were native in all three languages. I can also speak a tiny bit of japanese, and write a bit of chinese.</p>

<p>Any other people with interesting hooks?</p>

2

<p>I doubt what you have are hooks, but for comparison, here are the "tips" for a kid I know:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Two-time Junior Olympian and nationally ranked in sport; recruited NCAA athlete (now THAT is a hook)</p></li>
<li><p>18 professional stage productions, two national commercials, numerous national voice overs, numerous industrial films, five plays and five lead roles in high school, winner of best actor award in high school</p></li>
<li><p>Winner of the NCTE award for writing</p></li>
<li><p>Team captain, national finalist in the Federal Reserve Challenge macro-economics competition (one of seven teams in the US)</p></li>
<li><p>Four-state regional winner, Level IV Asian language</p></li>
<li><p>Winner of numerous, regional "best delegation" awards for Model UN</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>Yes, but what you listed above are more like ECs, arent they? Or are outstanding ECs like hooks?</p>

4

<p>Wait, does one kid have all those "tips" or is it different kids with different "tips"?</p>

5

<p>Fred:</p>

<p>One kid.</p>

<p>Here's another example:</p>

<p>Winner, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
Top 10: Intel Science Talent Search (junior Nobel Prize)
Wiinner or high finisher in age group in several long-distance road races of national reputation
State champion distance runner (several races)
Captain, state champion cross country team
Recruited, NCAA athlete.</p>

<p>These kids exist, though there aren't very many of them.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
Or are outstanding ECs like hooks?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yes, outstanding ECs can be hooks if the definition of hook is, "something that makes a college want you so much they are hoping you have the academic credentials to get in." In fact, I'd say that most hooks are probably ECs, with being a recruited athlete the most common hook (and it's a doozy). Some hooks aren't ECs, of course, like the hook of being a developmental admit.</p>

7

<p>Software testing at number one software security country in America</p>

8

<p>I'm thinking that all the RSI/TASP/intel&siemens finalists could be considered to have a "hook"</p>

9

<p>my hook is that i can speak 10 different languages while having a severe hearing problem.</p>

10

<p>would being in charge of a state office, for instance i am the youth governor of SC, be considered a hook. i am in charge an entire state program, and i doubt its that common</p>

11

<p>The second guy seems believable, but as for the first, I'm sure I'm not the only guy here who says HOLY ****!</p>

12

<p>Don't know how good the hooks are if they don't relate to what you'll be doing in school, though. The acting stuff---wouldn't that only be good if you were applying to a performing arts program? Or is it good to show long-term dedication or something?</p>

13

<p>Wow

[quote]
1. Two-time Junior Olympian and nationally ranked in sport; recruited NCAA athlete (now THAT is a hook)</p>

<ol>
<li><p>18 professional stage productions, two national commercials, numerous national voice overs, numerous industrial films, five plays and five lead roles in high school, winner of best actor award in high school</p></li>
<li><p>Winner of the NCTE award for writing</p></li>
<li><p>Team captain, national finalist in the Federal Reserve Challenge macro-economics competition (one of seven teams in the US)</p></li>
<li><p>Four-state regional winner, Level IV Asian language</p></li>
<li><p>Winner of numerous, regional "best delegation" awards for Model UN

[/quote]
</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Almost hard to believe 0.0. Unfortunately, I've never lived in the US (weird huh? after living in all those latin american countries) so I never had a chance to do any of those. I'm probably a decent athelete (7 years soccer. 4 years tennis) but in no way outstanding like that guy.
One stupid question. Did he appear in the national commercials as a protagonist, or extra?</p>

14

<p>
[quote]
Don't know how good the hooks are if they don't relate to what you'll be doing in school, though. The acting stuff---wouldn't that only be good if you were applying to a performing arts program? Or is it good to show long-term dedication or something?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'd say that the colleges would consider your interests in other fields, but they'd probably care much more on what the student's dedication is and their talents running towards their dedication</p>

15

<p>Someone should explain to me what the definition of "developmental admit" is.</p>

16

<p>Developmental admit is when your mom and dad are likely to donate a building. Not just one room of a building.</p>

17

<p>Okay. That's lame. And now I get it.</p>

18

<p>haha I'm going to get a 200 in Modern Hebrew ;)</p>

19

<p>o yea, Hooks are very important</p>

20

<p>Having a novel published by a real publisher is an amazing hook if you don't plagiarize (or you do plagiarize but nobody finds out till you matriculate).</p>