Is it okay to use personal topics for "hooks" on a college application?

Applying to College
1

Is it okay to write about personal things in your essays and such for an application? I know a lot of people do it, and I actually think I may have some “hooks” I can use when applying next year, but they are all very personal and I would feel extremely uneasy about using my own personal problems for getting into a university. I feel like I would want my acceptance to be all on Academic achievement and merit.

I was just wondering what other people’s take on the issue are.

2

Hooks are things like being the first in your family to go to college, being a recruited athlete, etc. If they’re too personal to disclose then they’re probably not hooks.

3

Nobody reading this post would understand what you are referring to so they won’t give you much valuable information. You will need to describe what you mean more specifically. Like. “My personal hook would be that my mother donated so much money a building at the university I’d like to attend was named for her.”

4

Hooks aren’t things like sexuality or a tough home life or past illness or being abused. Maybe the exception is being in foster care, though, especially in your HS years.

5

Well, for example I will be the only one of my siblings to graduate high school an attend a four year university.

I also have a few EC’s along with awards and honors but so does nearly every other college applicant.

6

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7

@intparent Ohh, okay gotcha’. What exactly constitutes as a hook, then?

8

None of those are hooks.

9

Under represented minorities (URMs), recruited athletes, legacies, or a super special talent (think Emma Watson or someone like that). Those are real hooks. You can get a slight advantage in some other situations:

  • Women have a better shot at some STEM colleges
  • Men and Asian students have an edge at many liberal arts colleges
  • Some colleges give an edge if you are geographically from an area where they don’t get many applicants (think Alaska and North Dakota, although regional LACs like to be able to say that they have students from a lot of states – so if you look outside your region at schools that mostly draw from their own region, that can help).
  • Sometimes being first generation to go to college can help a little
  • Students who have been homeless (esp in shelters) or in foster care during their HS years may get an edge.

Remember that your essay is really about trying to get them to want you on campus – focusing on the negative things that have happened in your life isn’t always the best way to do that. Sometimes your GC can describe things in their recommendation that have been obstacles – coming from the student, sometimes they just come across as excuses.