How much does a hook really help?

<p>This should not be just a thread about me and my case, but rather about how "we" percieve college admissions for everybody.</p>

<p>I am a good student, I have good rec letters (or assume they will be good, I mean who gets bad rec letters), and my essays are above average. My SAT score puts me around the 50% percentile of Yale students and my GPA is a 3.90. </p>

<p>My question is, not just for my stats, but for anybody who wonders how much a hook can overcome mediocracy, how much does a hook (such as international recognition, national chamionships, etc) help? Will a hook of being published in a medical journal overcome an average SAT score (average for Yale at least)? Does winning a national chamionship on an academic team overcome a 3.90 (average at Yale but above average elsewhere)? The bottom line, what does a hook really mean, and how much do admissions officers think about them in comparison with the staples, ie grades and test scores.</p>

<p>The hook is an interesting phenomenon. </p>

<p>Yale is one of the top universities in the world, so naturally the best students apply. In a typical applicant pool, I'd bet that there are internationally recognized musicians, athletes heading for the Olympics, children of prominent figures in society, and worldwide academic competition winners, just to name a few. </p>

<p>Are these hooks? Most would say yes. And while certainly these accomplishments are very impressive and would boost admissions prospects, I don't think a hook is so limited.</p>

<p>My translation? A hook is an accomplishment, a quality, a passion, or an insight. By this I mean that perhaps being unnaturally witty could be just as big a hook as winning a prestigious debate competition. A passion for collecting used gift cards and turning them into artwork might be just as valuable as having played in Carnegie Hall. This is not to say that a funny applicant can get in just because he or she is funny, more that solid stats in addition to a great personality could be considered a hook. But that's just me. Admissions officers might feel differently.</p>

<p>Do all Yalies have hooks? I think so. But a hook might not necessarily be limited to the things you have listed.</p>

<p>I have always understood a hook to be something that by itself significantly increases your chances of admission. So I think a better question might be, what constitutes a hook? Research arguably was a hook several years ago, but with the institutionalization of it through the Intel and Siemens competitions, I would not classify it as a hook anymore. There are many ways you can be published in a journal. Did you write a letter to the editor reporting the results of your project? Or was your paper actually published in the journal? Winning a national science competition could be a hook depending on how well known the competition is. Qualifying for USAMO, long considered by many to be a strong hook for math and science students, is very helpful but by no means guarantees you admission. I personally know several USAMO qualifiers who were rejected from Harvard.</p>