<p>Does anyone know?</p>
<p>The term loosely means any characteristic that improves your chances at a given school - being a legacy, skilled at sport, having done well in any suitable competition, being the child of someone famous or wealthy, being a member of an underrepresented minority are all examples of hooks.</p>
<p>I would say that a definite hook is when you have something about you which really STANDS OUT.
Everyone's been in student council and has been a class representative, everyone is on the speech team, the math team, plays sports, and acts.
(okay not really. but you know what I mean)
but only a few people place NATIONALLY at swimming or have won in art competitions to go on to have their paintings go for 2000 dollars at an auction.
now THAT is a hook.
but then again
you can also get in with a bunch of mini-hooks, which is what about half the people do. (like ME! i'm really nothing special, but I kind of did a little bit of everything at my old school)</p>