I am going to be a senior in high school and am looking at some fairly selective colleges. my problem is ive never been overly involved in school activities, i mean i did the generic stuff everybody does (key club, antidrug club for a couple years, etc) but nothing exceptional. i am a rapper though and have been for the last 3 or 4 months been performing to paying crowds. i currently live in london but i moved there a year ago and plan on college in the states. so i guess my question is could i use being a rapper as a hook for admissions or not so much? thanks in advance
<p>i think so. it might be a bit odd since admissions directors probably can't relate to the music or whatever, but you can write a catchy anecdote about your rapping experiences.</p>
<p>thats what i was hoping to do. basing my essay around an anecdote about performing and winning over crowds of inner city black london kids when you're 5'9", white, and have an american accent....being resilient in the face of adversity</p>
<p>Only if you are selling CDs and on the charts.</p>
<p>It sounds like an interesting essay topic that if written well would make you stand out.</p>
<p>Of course! Write about this. Do you realize how unique this is? Most kids applying to college will write about painting churches in Somalia or examining the racial indifferences between midget pygmies and half black, half Alaskan natives. </p>
<p>The rapping brings something else to the table that most other kids don't have. Make it funny, but also make it gritty, sort of like the battles in 8 Mile (awesome movie btw.) That's the type of thing that admission officers will remember.</p>
<p>i dont know if that uniqueness is a good thing. bieng on stage with a mic on stage for half an hour a few nights a months doesn't sound real impressive when compared to spending 3 months out of the year fighting poverty</p>
<p>"i dont know if that uniqueness is a good thing. bieng on stage with a mic on stage for half an hour a few nights a months doesn't sound real impressive when compared to spending 3 months out of the year fighting poverty"</p>
<p>are you kidding me? how many people do you know that not only have the courage, but also the talent, to get up on stage alone, with a mic, and rap in front of hundreds of people?</p>
<p>That definitely seems very interesting, and could make a great essay topic. By the way, since you're a rapper I assume you also listen to rap. Which artists are your favorite?</p>
<p>Well i do listen to rap of course and it is my first love but, just because i perform rap, doesnt mean i dont listen to other genres. as far as my favorite rappers my top 5 is (the top 5 favorite rappers of a rapper is an often discussed topic so ive got this pretty much memorized) 1.immortal technique, 2. slug of atmosphere. 3. brother ali, 4. eyedea, 5. nas. im not sure if you're familiar with any of those but as far as mainstream rappers nas, jayz, talib kweli, and common are usually pretty good. outside of rap i love alot of punk because of the message: bad brains, dead kennedys, the clash, etc</p>
<p>thanks to everyone for replying</p>
<p>Yea i didn't mean to say you exclusively listen to rap. You listen to immortal, too? NICE. One of my favorite CD's is Revolutionary Part II. Good taste in other artists too :)
Hahaha</p>
<p>I think that's a really, really interesting thing to explore in your essay. It's unusual, it shows your interests, it shows you're unique, etc. I say go with it.</p>
<p>There are thousands of high school garage bands, and thousands of people that think they can entertain. Only those that make it big enough to be recognized for it are unique enough to call it a hook, e.g. YoyoMa.</p>
<p>There's a huge difference between being in a garage band in Fresno, and being an American white rapper winning over black audiences in London. If you write about it just right, that can be really, really good.</p>
<p>Show adcoms that you are passionate about music-- make sure they understand that rap is a form of music and not some trend of pop culture. The last thing they want is someone who purposefully mispells his/her name and refuses to use proper grammar. Also you are going to need reviews, reccomendations, etc. if you want it to be a real hook. Distinguish yourself from other teenage boys in garage bands.</p>
<ul>
<li>On a different note I think its extremely idiotic of anybody here to downplay volunteerwork. I want to know how many of you are willing to get off your couch and spend three months of your free time to help starving children in Somalia. That is a feat and hats off to all applicants who actually made a lasting difference in someone's life</li>
</ul>
<p>
[quote]
hats off to all applicants who actually made a lasting difference in someone's life
[/quote]
Agreed! .....</p>
<p>I say that it is not about your hook, but how you present your hook. I think that being a shorter white rapper would be a great hook because it would stand out so much. Schools want diversity on their campus. They have an endless supply of brilliant hopefuls applying, so they always want someone who will bring something different to the school. Get a great English teacher at your school to help you with your essay. If you present it just right, I think it would be better than most hooks. (Yes, even the brilliant I discover the cure for cancer for my 9th grade science fair.)</p>