What are "Hooks"?

Applying to College
1

<p>I always see this on the boards. What does it mean anyway? </p>

<p>Is knowing 4 languages a hook (Fluent in English, Bahasa Indonesia, Arabic, and beginner mandarin)? </p>

<p>Is being a minority (Arab) a hook? </p>

<p>Is financial status a hook (I heard something about students who are willing to pay cash have higher chances than financial aid students/with student loans? I hope thats true!)?</p>

<p>Does having a full-scholarship (King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship ~ Full-tuition, $4,000USD monthly stipend, academic expenses {attending and travelling to&from confrences, symposiums,workshops,etc.}, Books allowance, clothing and food allowance, laptop allowance {if required by program}, medical insurance, and if applicable financial support for spouse and children [additional $1000 each monthly..w000t!!] ), count as a hook?</p>

<p>Thank you guys!</p>

2

<p>No. Arab is actually considered to be white by US terms, both on the Census and on the Common App. You’re not technically a minority, sorry to say, although arguments have been made otherwise. </p>

<p>Although to some extent, it could make sense- Many middle easterners/arabs are much closer to being Ayran (the tribe of people not the Nazi ideal) or closer to the caucus mountains- where “Caucasian” comes from than most europeans would be. </p>

<p>I don’t think the money is really a hook either. Hooks are: URMs, first gens, recruitable atheletes, etc.</p>

3

<p>None of these are hooks; all of them are advantages.</p>

4

<p>The only hooks I know are URM, recruited athelete, legacy, and development case ($$$). Some consider first generation to go to college to be a hook.</p>

5

<p>Hooks are something pretty much beyond your control; i.e., something inherent about you that is desired by the college. People with hooks are URMs, recruited athletes, legacies, celebrities, and developmental cases (your parents donated a LOT of money to the school).</p>

<p>There are also “tips.” These things are bonuses on your application that can be helpful. Students who are from geographically diverse areas, low-income families, and first generation families have “tips.” I would equate tips to other things on the application, like INTEL semi-finalist awards. These can be strong factors, the only difference from the rest of the application is that they are inherent and not necessarily worked for.</p>

6

<p>Correct me if I’ve been mistaken all this time but I thought that a “hook” was something that stood out in your application that made you different from all the serial-joiner, 4.0, 2400 kids that apply to top places every year… Stuff like MOP, INTEL or a national music award.</p>

7

<p>Yank: it seems the definition of HOOK is as applicannot says: it’s an inherent value about the applicant that the college is seeking (the classic example of the needed Oboe player for the orchestra). What you’re describing are just good tips.</p>

<p>Hooks are beyond the control of students (besides becoming a recruited athlete). Hooked students are considered “must-haves” by the colleges.</p>

8

<p>^ Ah so realistically you (unless in the case of recruited athlete) have no control as to a whether you have a “hook” or not.</p>

9

<p>Hooks can vary college by college.</p>

<p>I am sure for Emma Watson, being in Harry Potter was a HOOK for Columbia. Same for Brooke Shields regarding Princeton. Jodie Foster and Yale (or was it Harvard?).</p>

<p>Writing a book at age of 17 that was published can be a HOOK.</p>

<p>URM may or may not be a hook. For example, if that college has a lot of International students from China, than it isn’t a Hook, it is still an advantage, but it will not guarantee you admittance. Asians on a whole are a minority in the US, but when it comes to IVIES it can work against them.</p>

<p>Legacies are no longer considered Hooks like they were decades ago. A Legacy child that the folks donated a new building would be a HOOK. </p>

<p>NMF is deemed a Hook. Coca-Cola finalist is a Hook. I would assume your scholarship would be a Hook to some schools, not HYPMS, but maybe UNCCH, Brown, etc.</p>

<p>In essence, Hooks are things that give the university bragging rights and ups their image. Look at their college brochures, they state how many are NMFs. They want them to keep the school image. Princeton cares more about that than if you are an athlete. UVA, UMICH, DUKE, etc. like the athlete! </p>

<p>Have to ask $4,000 a month stipend on top of full ride? What do they expect you to be doing? That is more than many kids make starting fresh out of college.</p>

10

<p>I completely disagree with bulletandpima. </p>

<p>A hook is not something you have done (i.e., NMF), it’s something on your application that you can’t really change. It’s something that the university needs or wants to fill an institutional need. Stanford doesn’t need x number of published novelists; it does, on the other hand, like to keep its African American population at about 11%. Penn doesn’t need x number of NMF; it does, on the other hand, need to keep alumni happy. Harvard doesn’t need x number of celebrities; it does need x number of dollars in its coffers (developmental athletes and celebrities).</p>

<p>So what’s a tip? Year after year, Stanford is able to say that they have students from all fifty states. They are 24% first generation and 17% “low-income.” That means they need x number of students from Montana, x number of students from first generation families, and x number of students from low or lower socioeconomic status. Those aren’t as important as, say, having enough women’s basketball players (recruited athletes), so they aren’t hooks - but they can certainly help.</p>

<p>NMF and other things are excellent, but they are not hooks and tips; they are just wonderful facets of your application. I had 1500+ hours of volunteer work. That’s not a hook, but that’s not to say it didn’t stand out on my application.</p>

<p>P.S. - URM stands for underrepresented minorities, which usually does not include Asians anyway. Asians are considered ORMs, and are not hooked applicants.</p>

11

<p>shoot. Even though my heritage is from hadrahmout (a part of yemen, which is in noway near the caucus mountains! no body is anywhere near “White” there!!) I am still listed under “white”? Can I claim my race through my mother (Malay)? would that be east indian or what?</p>

<p>Oh, and I participated at the Mawhiba science competition (finalists represent Saudi arabia at ISEF), although I didnt make it past the regionals since the project HAD to be in arabic (the institute organizing this said the project would be translated when you qualify for the national team), thats so stupid ,seriously. I think I wouldve made the national team if it were in english!!!</p>

<p>@Bulletandprima: Well, it is Saudi Arabia (Thank you lord). We’ve been blessed to have this fortune and a comparitively (sp?) small population (about 23 million). Yes it is a full-ride, I also forgot to include round trip tickets to saudi arabia every 9 months. I also heard about a loophole where if a person is married and both are scholarship students, they get 4k each and the 1k for the dependent(listed as spouse ofcourse!! smart move), too bad the gov is patching that up :smiley:
Well, they expect us to learn! The country has benefited a lot from this program, with approximately 89% returning eventually (after completion of some work experience, grad school, professional schooling,etc.), these guys have been up to some serious stuff! The universities here are generally okay (except for KAUST, its amazing! look it up, too bad its only graduate and postgraduate), but nothing fantastic (although I believe that its your personality and fate that determine your success, not the postsec institution!)</p>

<p>Another question (please bear with me! thx): If you were an adcom member which would impress you more; 400+ hours of unpaid work at the engineering division and the actual plant (closely working with plant management) of a large-sized company, in addition to jobshadowing an actual industrial engineer, or the typical stuff (volunteering X hours at __________ )?</p>

<p>if I were on the committee, Id chose the job+job shadowing. It shows the applicant’s interest and drive in the field of his liking (engineering, industrial to be more specific), instead of a laundry list that some adcoms like!!</p>

<p>Oh, I know its a stupid question(you never know, it could be like that loophole in the scholarship system where you can make an additional 2k a month!), but If my dad went to college, and my mom didnt, can I claim First-gen (dont ridicule me, i know its leaning toward extreme stupidity, but what can i do, im nervous!!) status?</p>

12

<p>applicannot,</p>

<p>I am going on your CC, which states Stanford 14. That means you are a SR in HS. You have a limited view,</p>

<p>

</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Since when does HYPMS get money for “developmental athletes”? Do you actually believe they think they can recruit a PAC 10 or ACC athlete? Do you actually believe they give a rats butt regarding their Football or Basketball Team? Do you understand the cost that these schools receive from ESPN for broadcasting their games?2</p></li>
<li><p>How many published novelists do you know?

</p></li>
</ol>

<p>In other words you are saying Stanford cares more about race, and they are “tokens”. They are accepted because of race and not ability. I think Stanford would disagree.</p>

<p>You are 17-18 yrs old, you are accepted by Stanford, what else is your basis for saying you know hooks?</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>1st gen typically refers to parents that immigrated, not educational status.</p>

13

<p>^First-generation status does not apply only to applicants with immigrant parents. Anyone and his or her siblings who would be the first generation in his/her family to attend college has that “hook” (if it is in fact a hook; depends on the school).</p>

14

<p>

</p>

<p>I think you mean recruited athletes? If so, Stanford, at least, is certainly doing well in its recruiting - I hear we have pretty good teams. Other schools that recruit - say, Northwestern and Duke - aren’t doing too bad for themselves, either. I guess I don’t understand what you’re saying. I don’t think the athletes are winning the school money. I think you may have misunderstood me.</p>

<p>EDIT: Oh, I see, I wrote “developmental athletes” when I meant “developmental admits.”</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>If you want to get technical, I know two.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is that being a published novelist is not a hook. A hook is something intrinsic; a hook is something that a student has that the school needs or really, really wants. Being a published novelist is a priceless asset to the application. That said, it’s not a hook. A hook is something that fills an institutional need (unfortunately, race, but also $$$ and sports teams).</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>I’ve persued CC for two years and, for three years, have studied the college admissions process (on top of partaking in it). I don’t know, what is YOUR basis?</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Nope. Anyone whose parents never attended higher education is considered a first generation student. Some students are considered first generation if their students have had an incomplete experience or if their parents attended trade schools. That said, each school is free to define first generation.</p>

15

<p>

</p>

<p>First, I assume your fingers moved faster than your mind…you did not mean pursued, but perused.</p>

<p>Next, my basis is from a parent POV, for 12. Our DS was actively recruited by HPS and UPenn. Additionally, he was recruited by ND, UNCCH, and UVA.</p>

<p>I have as parent lived the process not only for our DS, but our DD who is a 14. </p>

<p>You are correct, 1st gen applies to 1st gen college.</p>

<p>You are applying Hooks in a different manner than I am. Hooks vary and they cannot be made in a generic call. A Hook for Stanford, is not the same for UIC. I was only trying to assist the OP by explaining it is the college/university that determines what they deem as a hook…you made it into a p***ing contest, </p>

<p>Back on topic, konig you need to disclose your college/majors for anyone to make decision if you have a hook.</p>

<p>Your scholarship to Emory Riddle may be a hook, but to Columbia it may mean nothing.</p>

16

<p>

</p>

<p>Nah, my brain always moves faster than my fingers. I’m sure my brain was already two paragraphs ahead by the time my fingers had gotten to that point. My wpm is only a tiny fraction of my IQ. Sigh.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Well, we just fundamentally disagree. I believe that a hook is something virtually universal to any college with some level of selectivity (i.e., not open admissions). In that sense, a hook is the same for Stanford as it is for UIC.</p>

17

<p>Actually, I am planning to declare a Industrial Engineering major. incase you were wondering, I’m planning for MSc Financial Engineering + MBA (preferring combined programs like Columbia’s) afterwards, maybe PhD in Financial Engineering w/MBA (@Princeton, know a couple of quant finance guys who made it there straight out of undergrad…they say cause its a new program).</p>

18

<p>*an industrial…</p>

19

<p>

</p>

<p>No no, you misunderstood. I was mainly being facetious-very few caucasians came from the caucus mountains region- the origin of the word is a misnomer of sorts, but in all technicality you’re ‘closer’ than someone from say, England. </p>

<p>Either way, on an app, you are white. Doesn’t matter if you’re from Yemen or not. Arabs are considered white by the US definitions- Census, college apps etc. </p>

<p>You’d be white/asian, and neither of those are technically under represented, and thus, not hooks.</p>

<p>This sort of thing has been brought up time and time again- and the definition that gets used most is widely universal. Will there be tipping point factors? Maybe. Author/Full pay at non-blind to need schools/Major in uncommon or small department/etc will factor in wonderfully in your favor at specific schools. But Hooks are hooks no matter where you go or apply to- Underrepped minorities, first gen, under repped state in the US, althete, etc.</p>

20

<p>

</p>

<p>I wouldn’t limit the definition to hook to something outside your control. A nationally ranked athlete would certainly have a hook. Sure, he/she is probably immensely talented, but the thousands of hours put into the sport cannot be discounted.</p>