<p>I was wondering about some possible extra non-academic hooks which might boost my applications to some of hte most competitive schools. I have been a very active musican during high school so I was considering possibly including a tape or cd of a performance? Would this do anything? Also, does in-state citizenship help even with Ivy Leagues? Such as if I lived in Pa and was applying to Penn or MA and to Harvard?</p>
<p>Being in the state of an ivy doesnt help at all, except maybe Cornell, which has a program with the state of New York. In order for music to be a hook you have to be really good. I too sent in a CD. Also depends on your instrument. If you play Bassoon, the school needs a bassoon player for their orchestra, and you are very good. I'd say it would help you a lot. However, if you play violin or another common instrument, it wont help as much.</p>
<p>The music is an excellent EC, and strong EC's are mandatory at the super elite colleges for nonhooked applicants. The top schools attract applicants nationwide. Being from a truly remote state like South Dakota might help in terms of geographic diversity since colleges like to say that they have students from all 50 states. Also there are colleges that are trying to be more national and would somewhat favor applicants from the opposite coast. This doesn't happen for the super elite colleges.</p>
<p>i play the bassoon</p>
<p>what about tragic situations and working 2-3 jobs to help support your family, while sitll having decent to above average scores and gpa?</p>
<p>What I've been told is that you only submit a peformance tape if there is no question you're great at what you do. Tired Adcoms listening to the 82nd tape of the day will not take mediocrity kindly.</p>
<p>But to answer the question about non academic hooks, the fact is there are few academic hooks. The biggest hook is being a recruited athlete, after that it's being rich, being a URM, or a legacy. Yes, there are some high school prodigys who have done amazing academic research, but only a few. A 4.0/2400 is not a hook.</p>
<p>First off, realize that you do not really need a hook unless you are applying to the extremely competitive colleges. Mostly this applies to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Stanford (to a lesser extent). </p>
<p>The second thing you need to understand is that yes, supplements can help your application. However, unless they are stellar (seriously), the supplements won't help you and may well hurt. Many admissions officers have said to only send in supplements if you have an unusual and genuine talent. Playing in marching band is well and good, but that doesn't mean you have to send in a CD. </p>
<p>If you do decide to send in a supplement, which you should if you have genuine talent, understand that the admissions officers are not required to read, listen, or watch a supplement, and there's no guarantee they will. Therefore, do NOT count on your supplement to be the strong point of your application. Make sure they know all about your musical abilities in the application itself. </p>
<p>Finally, I would say that being in the same state does help somewhat, but not because they have a quota. Odds are they are familiar with your high school if you're in-state, and your school may even send students to that college on a regular basis. This familiarity with your school will help more than coming from a random school in Georgia, but I don't think it would be a major factor.</p>
<p>Usually supplements are reviewed by a faculty member, not the adcom, since they are not familiar with music technique</p>
<p>hey can someone pleas answer my non-academic hook q: </p>
<p>what about tragic situations and working 2-3 jobs to help support your family, while sitll having decent to above average scores and gpa?</p>
<p>"A 4.0/2400 is not a hook."</p>
<p>Maybe not, but it'll still help your application just as much, if not more, than a "hook" does.</p>
<p>iwannatopcollege: That would help alot provided they know about it. Working jobs is not a good EC unless you need the money or make it clear that you are saving the money. The days of when having a paper route made a kid responsible and learn the value of money have been replaced by students working so that they can buy CD's and brand-name clothes. Working because you have to is a great EC. Explain it in an essay and try to get your GC to mention it in the rec.</p>
<p>dufus, what if you don't know if your artwork is "unusually good"? Ppl say some of my art are amazing, but I really don't find them so at all. And I am hardly modest. They are really nothing like Da Vinci or Picasso's. Since I had alrady sent them, what's going to happen to me? </p>
<p>I have two pieces of artwork that I like but didn't send(didn't have the slides). WOuld it be too late to send these two slides?</p>
<p>I don't think adcoms look at the stuff themselves. They pass it on to somebody in the art dept or the music dept or whatever. Unless you are applying as an art major, it probably won't have much of an effect. It might show that interest in your EC that is so important (except at large public univs). As far as the art itself, it doesn't have to be good or be bad so long as you enjoy it.</p>