<p>what is a hook?-the statements i've been seeing that indicate race or first generation to attend college and all of that.</p>
<p>Race, ethnicity and first generation to attend college as you mentioned are examples of a hook. At least that’s what I know. It generally means certain factors that makes a college more ‘attracted’ (horrible word, I know) to you due to your condition. </p>
<p>But I don’t know much of this stuff. ^Just my two cents.</p>
<p>My working definition of a hook is something in your application that causes your file to be placed in a special pile, including having someone from the university (outside of the admissions office) advocating on your behalf.</p>
<p>Athletes have coaches and the athletic office. URMs have the diversity office. Children of philanthropists have the development office.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if that’s absolutely true, rmldad. At least from what I’ve seen, I think it’s more anything that could boost you a lot in admissions. Like you said, Athletes, URM’s, extremely rich kids, but also first generation college, legacy, and even possibly if there is an extremely unique EC.</p>
<p>Of course, officially there’s not such thing as a “hook.” Applications don’t have a box that says, “Check here if you’re ‘hooked.’” But we all know that the concept that exists only informally is very real. Here’s what it means, *de facto *at least.</p>
<p>A hook is a quality of an applicant that meets a college or university’s institutional want or need. For example, most colleges have a football team, and football teams need linebackers. So if you’re one of the most sought-after high-school linebackers in Texas, that’s a hook. Most colleges need generous donors. If you come from a family that is likely to bestow a major gift on the college, you’re hooked. Most colleges want their alumni to be happy. Happy alumni donate to the college, and happy alumni are also good PR for the college. One way to make alumni happy is to give their children a leg-up in admissions. So if you’re a legacy, admitting you would help fulfill an institutional want. Many colleges like celebrity students. When Emma Watson applied to Brown, and Chelsea Clinton applied to Stanford, they were hooked.</p>
<p>There are other hooks, I suppose, but not all that many. And there are plenty of qualities that may make an applicant interesting, may make him or her stand out from the crowd, that don’t fulfill an institutional need or want. I would put “unique EC” into that category, but I wouldn’t call it a hook. YMMV.</p>
<p>Agree with Sikorsky. The term ‘hook’ gets misused a lot - but an interesting EC or life experience is not a hook. It’s just something that differentiates you from the crowd. A hook is something that fulfills an institutional goal.</p>
<p>a dated reference thread on the topic
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/144779-hookology-101-special-college-applicant-qualities-admissions-advantages.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/144779-hookology-101-special-college-applicant-qualities-admissions-advantages.html</a></p>
<p>Most of what are commonly called “hooks” are due to your circumstances of birth (legacy, URM, big donations from parents, famous parents, etc.), not do to your own personal achievements, with the exception of being targeted for athletic recruiting.</p>
<p>That makes sense Sikorsky. I think that you and UCBAlumnus pretty much covered it then.</p>
<p>A hook is legal discrimination. A university may choose you based on the color of your skin or if your parents are alumnae.</p>
<p>A “hook” is defined by each college and university individually. For example, if the marching band needs a tuba player, that skill can be a hook for that university, but not necessarily so for other schools. A historically black college or university might find that being white is a hook. The most common hooks focus on URM status, athletic abilities, development potential (family wealth) & major awards or accomplishments.</p>
<p>Is being from a very small all-girls school (graduating class size 31) considered a hook?</p>
<p>Usually it is not a hook. But, if you can communicate your experience there as one that gave you unusual insights & different perspectives on the world, then it should help.</p>
<p>Redboldx, do you know if a college or university that has an institutional need or an institutional desire for graduates of small girls’ schools? Some women’s colleges, maybe, but other than that? Not particularly.</p>
<p>Coming from a small girls’ school may have benefited you in a lot of other ways, but most places it won’t particularly help or hurt you with admissions.</p>
<p>Sent from my DROIDX using CC</p>
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<p>Technically, all selection is discrimination. However, the word “discrimination” has an unfavorable connotation because most people use it to describe what they consider undesirable, unfair, or illegal discrimination (e.g. colleges using race or ethnicity in admissions), as opposed to acceptable, desirable, or legal discrimination (e.g. colleges using previous academic records in admissions).</p>