Quick question, and the title is pretty self-explanatory: on colleges that ask you to self-identify as LGBT (specifically talking about Penn, though I’m sure other schools have the question), is this a “hook” like being a URM? Or is it mainly used for seeing what resources they need to allocate to the incoming class?
No, it is not a hook. Generally, if they ask, it’s to imply that they are a welcoming community.
Hooks are qualities that a school actively recruits: URM, elite athletes, development cases.
There are no gay ‘fly-ins’.
If they gave the LGBT community the same edge as a URM or a recruited athlete, then you would see thousands of applicants suddenly becoming gay, just to try to be more competitive in the admissions process.
How do I put this: People can tell if you’re an elite athlete, people can tell if you’re hispanic or black (most of the time), but it’s hard to say who is gay and who isn’t.
Also, what’s preventing a person from saying they’re gay and then changing their mind once they get into the school?
Very unfortunate that the LGBT community does not receive a hook in admissions.
A hook means that a school will particularly want you for one reason or another. This is usually for things like a recruited athlete, a legacy, etc. While schools are generally very welcoming to the LGBT community, don’t think they feel a need to seek LGBT applicants out to the extent that it becomes an advantage in admissions. The truth is that here are very few real admission hooks.
“Very unfortunate that the LGBT community does not receive a hook in admissions.”
And why should they? Have they had any sort of hinderance in accessing resources? To be honest, I think it would be absolutely ridiculous if LGBT students received a bump just because of sexual preference.
It is a recognized challenge for some kids, for lots of legit reasons. But it is not, in and of itself, a hook or a tip. Holistic means they’ll look at your whole story. Some kids go beyond in helping others, giving their time to the community, trying to have some positive impact. Just being gay isn’t an “it.” So, what have you done?
I said they should because many people in that community live tough lives because of their sexual preference. They are harassed at school for being gay, they have troubles with their parents. At our school, we have had numerous conventions to help people open up, and it is very difficult for them as others are constantly judging them for their decision.
Obviously, they aren’t going to receive a hook because anyone can fake a sexual preference, but in my experience at my previous school, the treatment they face is pretty bad, and to be able to overcome those obstacles should deserve some sort of merit.
@redeng2614 But like lookingforward said: schools that practice holistic admissions may tease out those that would bring special interest to their student bodies. You seem to forget that there’s not been a shortage of LGBT people on most US college campuses.
LGBT status/identity is not a hook in US colleges.
ONe more voice of agreement. The school will be welcoming, but not actively looking to solicit LBGT students.
Race, athletic prowess, and development money are verifiable.
How do u expect schools to verify gayness?
While I agree, GMT, that LGBT status is not a hook, colleges do not ‘verify’ race either. If you say you are hispanic or black,then you are. It’s a matter of self-identifying.
But race is captured in HS records, because schools are required to report racial statistics to the US Dept of Education. Students typically don’t change their racial designation moving from HS to college.
I have yet to see a HS record that tracks mating preference.
I think most selective universities would feel they have certain minorities that are underrepresented on their campuses. For that reason being a bright URM can be considered a hook. I don’t think they would feel that the LGBT population is underrepresented. For that reason I don’t think you will find that it will be a hook. I don’t think that identification will aid you.
No. Anyone could pretend to be LGBT in college apps if it helped.
I didn’t mean being gay might be a special plus in the class make-up. I do mean being active in matters important to you or that come from your identity is a positive to colleges looking for energized, effective kids. Just being gay - and for that matter, just being URM- isn’t going to be some special special for Chi, WM, Columbia, Brown, whatever.
And I don’t know why this emphasis on kids faking gay. It’s an odd side-track. The level of schools OP has mentioned in the past want more than some flat declaration or revelation. (I want to be a doc, I’m Christian, I overcame X.) They want to see how you take your smarts and move forward in positive ways. OP can either show that or not. It doesn’t even have to be about gay issues.
While true that it is not relevant to this discussion, you can’t possibly see the annual sprinkling of threads from kids hoping/trying to fudge their race on college applications and not immediately assume that kids would do that with being LGBT if it was known to be a plus.
Let’s look at the flip side of the coin—do you want quotas established so that a college can reject you because they have admitted enough kids that are LGBT? Many heterosexual students face bullying on a daily basis, face tough lives and have trouble with their parents so in a way it would be reverse discrimination. I think if you asked many LGBT kids this question, they would say they would want to be treated like everyone else in ALL facets of life, including college admission.
Just because something makes a good topic for an admissions essay doesn’t make it a hook.
TBH, I’d probably put it under the category of overdone essay topics. This isn’t the US pre-Stonewall. The LGBT AO who reads an essay on the struggles of being a gay teen will be doing major eyerolls. Unless the applicant is applying from Saudi Arabia or some similarly oppressive state, I’d think twice about writing on this topic.