<p>I know i need a “hook” and i was wondering if this is good enough:</p>
<p>My dad died about 4-5 years ago and as part of a cultural tradition for blessing in Bangladesh, every summer, we go to my country and help out the orphanages in Dhaka by providing food for them. I know Brown is looking for culturally diverse people also. My essay is actually going to related to this.</p>
<p>Is there anything i can do to increase my chances other than grades and sat/sat II scores?</p>
<p>How were your GPA/SAT scores? i think mines might be just a little bit below average.</p>
<p>for some reason, i think that relating my personal experience to volunteering in my country is something that most people don’t do. (it is just common among some groups of Bengali people)</p>
<p>Just to explain: You don’t create a “hook.” A hook is when you meet an institutional objective of the university. For example, Brown as an institution made a policy decision to increase the number of students who are first-generation college. So that’s a “hook.” Brown wants geographic diversity – so if you come from a poorly represented state, that’s a hook. Brown wants its football team to do well – so if you are a recruited athlete, that’s a hook.</p>
<p>I’m very sorry about your father, and I think your volunteer efforts are admirable. These experiences might help your application, but they aren’t a “hook.”</p>
<p>It is “interesting” but not a hook. Not all hooks are equal either. Ethnic diversity most always trumps geographic and being a recruit, well, it doesn’t get any better.</p>
<p>Yup, celebrity and wealth are always hooks.</p>
<p>thepal: Brown is looking for cultural diversity, but I don’t know whether being from Bangladesh will help you, since there are a lot of students of Indian and Pakistani descent at Brown. (It might, I just don’t know.) However, find a school which is looking for diversity in that area (think, small liberal arts colleges), then you have a hook at those schools.</p>
<p>With all due respect, how is being from a country that is most likely going to be the next Atlantis in a decade or two (assuming global warming persists at its current rate) not a hook?</p>
<p>i feel like i was gonna write a very blunt answer, but seeing ur situation i can see why you asked. Unfortunately, i don’t think it’s a huge hook. I would say it’s an excuse to keep u in the applicant pool. The difference is tht when u have a hook, they see it immediately and are like “I want him!!” An excuse could be like it’s between uz and another good applicant and they say “But look at what he did and his reasons for doing it! I think a kid like that belongs here.”</p>
<p>And when you say “look at what he did and his reasons for doing it,” are you referring to me also?</p>
<p>Just kinda confused =)</p>
<p>@ fireandrain - I’m from NY and i doubt that’s a poorly represented state. Also, you said that there are many Indian/Pakistani people, but is that the same as Bangladeshi? Bangladesh is a underdeveloped country compared to India/Pakistan.</p>
<p>@objective. Are you referring to Emma Watson? I think i saw somewhere that she is currently attending Brown.</p>
<p>@Lobzz. While i am happy that you are saying Bengali people are a hook, Why is it a hook to be in a country that might be under water at any time? (Just trying to understand how college admissions works)</p>
<p>The only reason i asked if its a hook is because i thought a hook is something a college wants and I’m pretty sure Brown is known for its cultural diversity and intellectual freedom.</p>
<p>Also, should i mention that i have a twin brother? How about the fact that before my father (he was a diplomat for Bangladesh) had died, My family moved from one country to another every three years. So far, I have lived in Saudi Arabia, Iran, England, Bangladesh, and America. I have also visited Paris, when i was very young, and Egypt. Again, just hoping it shows how i understand the importance of diversity.</p>
<p>Probably talking about your father, a diplomat for Bangladesh, would be interesting too. Think of it this way: how many college kids can say _____ ? (you fill it in…Death in the family, moving to many countries…) I bet not many could say their dad was a diplomat. Or at least, that’s the beginning part, and you take it from there.</p>
<p>i am thinking about doing an essay on this topic. (1 Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. )</p>
<p>the problem is that it says “A significant experience.” I have to pick one and im not sure which one to pick. </p>
<p>Is there any way i can combine these topics (Moving around because my father was a diplomat, My father’s death about 5 years ago and the challenges i faced when i went from a pretty rich family to a family that couldn’t even pay rent without using up savings, or the fact that due to my father’s death, every summer we help out orphanages in Bangladesh)</p>
<p>I am trying to combine them, but i’m not sure if i am allowed to do that. Also, if i don’t use the fact that i helped out orphanages in Bangladesh during my 9th and 10th grade summer, should i put it in the EC’s section?</p>
<p>You can definitely combine all these anecdotes into one essay. You’ll want to figure out the over all message, so don’t get caught up with too many details. It’s really best if you write about how you felt through this all, and how your circumstances helped you grow up. </p>
<p>For instance, you could start the essay about moving to different countries and living a glamourous life, then your father dies and you go back to your roots. By the end, write how you’ve come full circle and now your family is just like those families you fed after your father’s death.</p>
<p>Remember, if you can’t fit the “write about a significant experience” essay, you can just write it as an anything topic. But, don’t get caught up with that prompt. It’s just to inspire you, not to constrain you.</p>
<p>So basically, my main point is to show how my “riches to rags to a little above rags” life has allowed me to help orphans who only have a “rags” life.</p>
<p>hey ya im a little late to see my mistakes. idk. it’s hard to explain what i mean on a blog. im like pretty sure u guys are off this topic (dont hve time to read other posts after ur response to me), but i was saying it’s not a reason for u to be accepted, but one where it could save u from being rejected. Okay, that sounds like the same thing… hmmm… when i figure out how to say it, i’ll PM u lol.</p>
<p>I must have misunderstood; A Bengali actually living in Bangladesh is probably hooked. Whereas, A Bengali living in Brooklyn (or whatever) is hardly hooked. But there’s always diversity, so I really don’t know about this particular situation. </p>
<p>But to clarify and help you understand college admissions: Schools like Brown aren’t out to admit only academic powerhouses (and trust me, they can fill their classes 3 times over with those), but rather a diverse class. They want academic powerhouses, underrepresented minorities, athletic recruits, well-rounded kids, internationals, offspring of billionaires, and a few average kids with pretty good stats.</p>
<p>I have a similar background to you (I’m African American but born in Africa and moved around a lot because of my parent’s job).</p>
<p>I took the significant experience essay question and made it about a series of related experiences (i.e. moving around so much and how it has impacted me).</p>
<p>So you could definitely do that. So far it has worked out well for me!
Good luck!</p>