OFFICIAL Harvard HOOK site!!!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
141

<p>I strongly doubt Harvard has a quota of 3 or more accepted students each year from Wyoming, although I'm interested in seeing the link. Given the size of a typical Harvard class and large number of accepted students that attend the school, this seems highly unrealistic.</p>

<p>And as for my origins, I'm actually a first-generation immigrant who grew up on the West Coast. While my family wasn't poor, they weren't rich either, and I received financial aid. Honestly though, I don't see what this has to do with the topic.</p>

142

<p>While Yale has a map listing accepted student's locations, I believe Harvard only breaks down acceptances by region.</p>

143

<p>Hey Harvard2011- now you've publically attacked at least me and Harvard Alum '98 about our backgrounds, which as HA '98 points out has nothing to do with the topic, and both times...you've been wrong. Maybe you should stop attacking people you've stereotyped, hmm?? </p>

<p>Either way with your rude attitude, you won't get in. Don't worry about where you are from, geography makes no excuse for attitude.</p>

<p>I have never heard of the "Harvard accepts 3 people from each state". In terms of students who matriculate, one of my blockmates is the only student in our class from Nevada, and one of my friends is the only student in his class from Montana.</p>

144

<p>Ok.. It's not always true, but it usually is... You're telling me that the "average" applicant to an ivy school isn't from the NE, Cali, or Florida and from an affluent family? From the looks on this board, 99% of people only go to those schools because their parents want them to. I have the freedom of speech. I've been looking around these forums for years under a wide range of usernames. That's the truth. Actually, in "real life" I'm a nice, pleasant, person who loves to have a good time and get along with everyone. I just believe that most people going to those types of schools go for the wrong reasons. that's all. Most students are like that, but some aren't. In my opinion, I think people's backgrounds, income levels, and the opportunities that they've had should be better evaluated. That's all. Oh, and, by the way, I'm against AA... OMG !!! I might be a racist! God forbid I be against something that itself is actually just that....</p>

<p>"Given the size of a typical Harvard class and large number of accepted students that attend the school, this seems highly unrealistic."</p>

<p>Hmm... shouldn't be a hard one to figure out... Let's see... Wyoming is what 1700 miles from Cambridge? As I said, most people won't go even if accepted... hmm.. 3x50=150 --- the classes usually are what... 1600? What happens if all don't accept? They have to AT LEAST accept two of them. And, by the way, you don't know FOR sure that that person is the only one is your state who's attending your college. </p>

<p>"And as for my origins, I'm actually a first-generation immigrant who grew up on the West Coast."</p>

<p>Obviously not FIRST GENERATION in college in this country... They probably went to college in Asia. </p>

<p>How many stereotypes do you have about people from South Dakota? I've been to Boston once on a scholarship for the entire summer and I don't even have an accent... yeah, it's hard to believe, isn't it? People here, for the most part, talk with really no accent.. Amazingly, however, only like 5% of our population even farms, and they're usually the ones that talk like hicks and have hick accents... Oh, and the older people... Lots of them "sound" normal, and usually use half-way-decent grammar. In fact, I've never even been to a farm. All my town is is a little drug town. Oh, and by the way, I was reading some other stupid post about how people in ND don't care about those people in the south... Get real... The student senate is doing all kinds of crap for that... And this is the real shocker... I, a person who doesn't really care for people from france or of that descention actually FEEL bad for them... Most of them wouldn't leave because they loved their animals too much.. </p>

<p>IN A NUTSHELL: Most people are just "average" applicants who are on this new hook fad... Ok... Have being from southern california be your hook.</p>

145

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1215585&highlight=dakota#post1215585%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?p=1215585&highlight=dakota#post1215585&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

146

<p>
[quote]
And, by the way, you don't know FOR sure that that person is the only one is your state who's attending your college.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I didn't say the only one in college, but only one in the grade...you were talking about Harvard accepting people per year.</p>

<p>Yes you can find this out. Once you are admitted, there are regional receptions both in your state and at Harvard. You might have an advisor in the admissions office, as I did, who can comment on this. You can look in the freshman register facebook to see if you're the only on in your state.</p>

147

<p>Hmmm that link talks about North Dakota, not South Dakota or the Dakotas. Harvard2011 why don't you try to make a point, not attacks on people? Insulting others won't build you up, it just makes you look dumb.</p>

148

<p>Hook opinion please!</p>

<p>My daughter is Hispanic with high SATS (2200+), NMSF, National Hispanic Scholar (assumed) from Texas. National recognition - National Bronze medalist/State gold medalist National History Day. (Bunches of other nonhook stuff too).</p>

<p>But...second generation to go to college, not first. Parents both grew up in low income family and attended college on grants, scholarships and loans. However, we are financially comfortable now.</p>

<p>And the ESL thing confuses me. One parent learned two other languages before English, but now considers English his first language. Grandparents definitely ESL, Great-grandparents did not speak English at all.</p>

<p>Does our family income and language circumstances mitigate the Hispanic/high score hook?</p>

149

<p>Uh... ESL refers to the student herself. Her parents could speak nothing but Swahili, but as long as English was <em>her</em> first language, she's not ESL.</p>

150

<p>"Hmmm that link talks about North Dakota, not South Dakota or the Dakotas. Harvard2011 why don't you try to make a point, not attacks on people? Insulting others won't build you up, it just makes you look dumb."</p>

<p>Most people don't even know the difference. That was just an example of a state in the upper-mid-western region.</p>

<p>"Either way with your rude attitude, you won't get in. Don't worry about where you are from, geography makes no excuse for attitude."</p>

<p>Hmm... Actually, I could care less about geography. Most applicants to ivy leagues from my state of South Dakota are from the city of Sioux Falls (that has like 150,000 people, which is like 1/5 the state's population...) and from very affluent families. Not always, but usually. That's just "common knowledge." Most students who apply are wealthy students who've had serveral opportunities to follow their passions. However, when you live in a really rural area where there aren't even AP courses, many clubs, etc., and sports are the only competitive thing, by self-studying for two AP courses does come off as impressive.. And, obviously, if you score high on the ACT or the SAT that's also really impressive coming from your area. What even makes it more impressive is that the student comes from a low-income family that shows his or her self-motivation. A job can show this, too. I mean, most people on this board get jobs to make their application lookgood, whereas people from here do it to save up for college or to help their parents pay for bills... I haven't seen a penny of my thousands I've earned thus far... It's all in the bank. </p>

<p>The point: I was just saying, most student come from good areas and rich families with plenty of opportunities... Also, it makes me sad to see several threads with things like "My parents will kill me if I don't get into Harvard or get anything lower than an 'A' on my report card." It just seems like many people are "over-achievers" for the wrong reasons. Sorry. This might not apply to you, but for many, it does... Not ALL, but many. Again, I'm sorry. I just had to cool down.</p>

151

<p>I was the leader of the USSR.
My extracurriculars included glasnost, perestroika, and reinstating the national legislature.
I appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial.</p>

<p>I also have a 2400 SAT.</p>

<p>Can I get into Harvard?</p>

152

<p>gorbachev..I say def. YES</p>

153

<p>I dunno, there aren't that many Pizza Huts around Harvard...most people decide to order in DOMINO'S....</p>

154

<p>Wait does ESL mean English was not his/her FIRST language or not his/her PRIMARY language. I'm sure there are people who immigrated from other countries at a young age and have no trouble speaking English, but the language would not be their first.</p>

155

<p>ESL means English as a SECOND Language. Even though young children may learn English easily as a child, their parents may never or not as quickly learn. I know a lot of people at school, Asians especially, who emigrated young and speak English fluently without an accent. Many of their parents, however, do not have a good command of the language. This is why I think these people should be commended even more for mastering English, if they are not hearing it at home/not the primary language at home.</p>

156

<p>My hooks:</p>

<p>-URM (Hispanic(Spain)/white)
-Low-Income (Less than 30K/yr)
-Crappy school that doesn't have many APs (and avg SAT is less than 900, 40% on free/reduced lunch); looks like that school from "Dangerous Minds", LOL
-IEP(special ed), but still on top (Rank 8th in my class and highest SAT)
-First generation college(in my ENTIRE family)
-Languages Spoken(in order of fluency): English, Spanish, Italian, Latin</p>

<p>I'm not centering my entire app around those, but I will incorporate them.</p>

157

<p>The problem with this board is that people have been trying to mold themselves into hooks when they really aren't one. Be yourself. If you like painting pictures 40 hours a week, do that. If you like to build robots late at night, do that. If you like helping underprivileged children, do that. Don't do something just to get in to college. So many people I know just hoard awards and merit JUST to put on their college application. Do what you want to do! That is a small hook--to not be phony. </p>

<p>Ever since people have heard about "hooks" at big colleges, they have been scouring for lives, looking for a small commitment that they can blow out of proportion into a hook. I'm not talking about minorities and low-income; I'm talking about the rest who stack up awards and try to make them into a hook. Now, some of you really do stack up awards, and do enjoy what you are doing. That's great. But these people are probably too concerned with what they are doing to say "is this a hook?" </p>

<p>Getting turned town by a top school is not the end of the world: YOU are what determines who you will be, not a college. Some of the brightest people, even some of the Ivy professors, did not go to an Ivy-league college for undergrad. The point is, be optimistic; be yourself on your application and don't worry about hooks. If you don't get in to Harvard undergrad, try again for grad school.</p>

158

<p>medicine is not a hook at harvard. there are thousands of pre-meds who apply there every year. unless you did something exceptional in the field of health, it is actually a disadvantage</p>

159

<p>Would playing in an alternative rock band be "unique"? (I don't want to call it a hook, though)</p>

160

<p>born in pakistan, moved to the U.S. when I was 13.</p>

<p>had to learn everything about how high schools work myself. My parents still have no clue what IB Diploma, GPA, SAT, ACT, ECs etc are. My parents are highly educated (dad was a lawyer in Pakistan, mom did Bachelors in Poli Sci), but they don't speak English in public for some reason.</p>

<p>So I started a program telling immigrant parents about stuff that they should know, coz I didn't want other students to have to learn it themselves.</p>

<p>I raised $30,000 for tsunami victims, and was covered by Voice of America.</p>

<p>Does ANY of this count as a hook?</p>