<p>how much of a hook is it exactly...especially at top privates</p>
<p>A bump, a small one--if your ECs, essays, recs etc...are competitive or unusual. None, if you are not competitive or don't distinguish yourself via the application process.</p>
<p>yes my ec's and grades are pretty competitive although my gpa is around a 3.72 ... ive been getting the feeling that if your a urm youre almost guaranteed a position in a top school...like when people say "do you have a hook like legacy,athlete,urm..." to a person that has none then it makes me feel like maybe its a bigger deal than it is...clarify?</p>
<p>"yes my ec's and grades are pretty competitive although my gpa is around a 3.72 ... ive been getting the feeling that if your a urm youre almost guaranteed a position in a top school..."</p>
<p>But that's not true unless "top school" to you means a top 50 school. You still also need very good board scores.</p>
<p>It gives you a bump - but not much. However, a friend of mine got into Harvard (she's black) with a 2020 but on the other hand, was Valedictorian. She didn't really have any hooks...</p>