It doesn’t take too much searching around here to find at least one comment mentioning how being hooked is a significant advantage in admissions for top universities. But how exactly does the hook advantage work? People here seem to talk about being a legacy, first-generation, a URM, or a D1 athlete as if these are the closest things to a key into some of the nation’s most competitive colleges. I’ve even seen some senior members here who always advocate against telling a student their chances of admission are guaranteed, say the very opposite if they learn they have a hook. Entire discussions will change from discouraging a student from applying to telling them they’ve got it in the bag once they here that they have a hook. Why? I’m sure these are exaggerations. Plenty of URM’s, legacies, and I bet D1 athletes don’t get admission into their top choice school sometimes. But why does having a hook change conversations about admission so much, more so than international awards and stuff like that? Are all hooks weighted the same? And should a hooked student (like me) really view the whole process so differently because they are hooked?
I always feel like a thread like mine exists. If so, please attach the link!
Hooks matter, but the degree to which they make a difference varies among colleges. For example, at some colleges, being the offspring of alumni will only give you a boost if you apply in the ED round. Hooks aren’t generally something applicants can control, so try not to spend a lot of time worrying about them. If you have the stats - and have match and likely schools on your list, I wouldn’t let the lack of a hook keep you from applying anywhere.
IMO The biggest hook is being a recruited athlete as those students tend to get verbal commitments early on in the process.
The weight of other hooks is highly variable school by school.
No, this will vary by school.
What is your hook?
Unless you’re a recruited athlete a hook is never a guarantee and how much it helps will vary from school to school. I’ve never seen anyone here say that being a legacy or a URM is a guarantee anywhere.
Although it is not rare for posters to exaggerate the effect of legacy and/or URM (sometimes saying that it matters at colleges which do not consider it).
The reason I posted this is that someone in another thread said that if the OP was hooked with their current test scores and grades, they would absolutely get into their top choice school. But it probably was just an exaggeration. Thanks, everyone for your input. I’ve always been really confused about this aspect of admissions.