<p>Do you think this could be an ivy league "hook"?</p>
<p>I have lived in three different countries, I spent approximately 1/3 of my life in each country. Today, I am very very fluent in speaking, reading, and writing in those three languages: Mandarin, English, and French. And I participate in many competitions and extracurriculars involving all three languages.</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Wow, that is pretty interesting! If you maybe spiced up how you said it, it’ll be even better. Good luck!:)</p>
<p>No, not a hook. Good luck.</p>
<p>My hook was that I saw a St. Jude commercial, went to NYLF on medicine, created a St. Jude donation club at my school, and went to a genetics and molecule biology class over the summer at Columbia (also worked at an oncology lab at my local hospital). All this tells the story of my journey to become an oncologist. It made a very touchy essay.</p>
<p>^ You didn’t have a hook, either.</p>
<p>Columbia, what you are talking about is technically not a “hook”. Same as the OP. The term “hook” used on CC has a very specific meaning.</p>
<p>A “hook”, in the strictest sense, is a legacy applicant, a recruited athlete, a high achieving under-represented minority, development case (wealthy family with significant donation prospects), or a child of someone very powerful, such as a US Senator. A smaller hook would be a first-generation college student (even though that hook is very small and is basically negligable).</p>
<p>A hook is something that you ARE without doing anything. What you guys have mentioned are ECs.</p>
<p>Edit: I stole half of my post from sherpa’s previous posts on hooks.</p>
<p>My advisor states it is a hook. But the hook your referring to, I’m a first generation college student and my father is in the military. Do you consider those hooks.</p>
<p>I should have worded my post differently. I meant hook not as in the true definition of “hook” to colleges. What I meant is: will my multicultural background make me stand out and appeal to admission officers? Considering that in the Harvard supplement, you need to list the places you have lived in and the languages you know.</p>
<p>And Columbia, that is an impressive ec!</p>
<p>I’m not trying to be the hook police here, but GamBino has it only part right. </p>
<p>First, it doesn’t matter what the “CC” definition of hook is; what matters is the real world of, in this case, Ivy hooked admissions. Hooks are attributes that these schools want so badly that they’ll overlook minor shortcomings or usher the applicant in through the side door rather than having them wait at the front door with the sub 10% crowd. </p>
<p>Interesting attributes aren’t hooks.</p>
<p>I also disagree with the sentiment that hooks are something over which the applicant has no control, that you either have it or not, that hooks can not be nurtured. Case in point: my son who was recruited by HYPS and others. He wasn’t born with an innate ability to disengage, parry, and land a riposte flick to his opponent’s shoulder. This is a skill that was nurtured.</p>
<p>Thank you!!! Good luck with Harvard.</p>
<p>@Columbia - your advisor is wrong. The St. Jude thing is nice but not a hook. First generation is a tip but not huge. Father in military won’t help.</p>
<p>Hooks aren’t needed. Most applicants don’t have any.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>I have to disagree with my father being in the military. Almost everyone I spoke to say its a +. Apparently colleges think that a military figure in the house hold means something. I don’t know what exactly but they say it shows discipline in the house hold.</p>
<p>Having a military parent means nothing to an Ivy (or most schools). Stated as a parent and retired military.</p>
<p>To the OP, your multilingual/multicultural background is interesting, but it probably won’t do much at the very top schools. I am also certifiably fluent in all three languages you listed, as well as Spanish and German (scored 5’s on the AP’s in all languages except German, which I’m taking this upcoming May, and an 800, 800, and 790 on the subject tests in French, Chinese with Listening, and Spanish respectively). My major extracurriculars are also language-related - I currently work for an online translation service, study Latin and Ancient Greek, and volunteer at a Christian publishing company. At one point, I worked on the German translation of the New Testament. I suspect that the Ivy League gets its fair share of multilingual applicants (some of which might even be more accomplished than me), so while you should definitely talk about your interest in languages, you should also know that even though it’s not as common as some other interests, it isn’t as rare as you think either.</p>
<p>Fledgling, I am very impressed of your language abilities and yay another language fan! However, I would like to point out that my focus is more on my culture experiences rather than my languages. Yes, I do mention my language abilities in my application, but I mainly talk about the people I have meant and how I feel about the countries I have been to school in. As well as how I adapted to the environment of each different country. For example, I learned my first word in English 3 years ago (okay, a little exagerated about the first word) And so, although I do mention the provincial public speaking contests I participate in using these languages and so on, I mainly focus on my CULTURAL background. Again, sorry about my unclear post that caused the confusion, but of course, I acknowledge the fact that there are many people out there who have lived in more places I have and I certainly do not think my case is rare.</p>
<p>sorry, people I have <em>met</em></p>
<p>Hi I have also lived in three different countries and been educated in three different schools taught in the respective languages. I have heard that the experience by itself will not get you in top schools but if your other academic stats stand out too, it would be great 
Wow fledgling that’s amazing! Are you a senior right now?</p>
<p>@ signature: Yes, I am currently a senior. Are you? I’m guessing that you’re quite a language buff yourself… which languages do you speak, if you don’t mind me asking? :)</p>
<p>I speak Japanese, French, English fluently, learned Spanish for 5 years, and Mandarin Chinese for two years. my chinese is pretty horrible 
I enjoy learning languages but I guess my moving a lot helped a lot;;
I’m pretty impressed with your language abilities fledgling :0 wow.
I just sent you a message 
Could you please check it ?
Thanks</p>
<p>That’s amazing signature! I’ve always wanted to learn Japanese. Spanish and Italian are next on my list haha all the language fans in one forum!</p>