<p>I guess the real question is what you did after graduating from high school so early that would be classified as enriching?</p>
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Russian living in Thailand - was that your choice?
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Unfortunately, no. My father was a major in Thai history and always wanted to work here, so I never really had a choice.
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why in the world would you want to leave highschool early?
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I didn't leave school early. I graduated. I was on an accelerated program for gifted students. The reason it was possible was because my school was very small (~200 students), so it was basically like 1 on 1 with the teachers. Was hard and required 100% dead-on motivation, but I achieved it. </p>
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Is being crowned at a state teen pageant a hook?
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Yeah, adcoms are shallow and will take your looks into consideration.</p>
<p>Sarcasm aside, if it was an "enriching experience" for you, as worldworshipper said, then it could be.</p>
<p>Being crowned at a state teen pageant is pretty cool and I am sure a lot of work goes in to it. I don't know if it is a hook, but it sure is an EC and a great accomplishment! Perhaps that combined with something else unique could make a 'hook'.</p>
<p>HOOK = MONEY</p>
<p>im deaf, and i am really good at math</p>
<p>HOOK=MONEY</p>
<p>As in you have to have money to have a hook? Or if your parents give the school a billion dollars annually then that is a hook?</p>
<p>I presume you mean the latter is true.</p>
<p>Yes, the latter. All those uber-rich kids who get free passes into schools....</p>
<p>Well if I were a direct legacy at an Ivy (only cousin and uncle attended Princeton and grandfather attended UVA and Penn (Wharton) but I'm not sure if he gives them any $$$ but should since he was in fact a Jefferson Scholar at UVA) and my parents gave the school 10 million dollars a year; I am sure they would admit me otherwise they know that they would probably be cut off if they rejected me. So, yes, I am certain a certain percentage of admits are there due to money.</p>
<p>Just for curiosity....do the schools make a connection with your surname to perhaps a relative that gives the school money or to someone who is kind of famous or very important in politics, famous CEO, etc.? Probably not because how would they know unless you told them.</p>
<p>Well, there are common hooks, and then really rare ones that admissions officers won't forget.</p>
<p>A couple of real examples of some hooks that the admissions officer won't forget -- please. Just curious, because by now I already have mine.</p>
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Being crowned at a state teen pageant is pretty cool and I am sure a lot of work goes in to it. I don't know if it is a hook, but it sure is an EC and a great accomplishment! Perhaps that combined with something else unique could make a 'hook'.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>worldshopper,</p>
<p>How would you use winning a pageant to make a "hook"? public speaking or community service?</p>
<p>MeInc100: I think winning a state teen pageant is certainly unusual; different. Looks aside, I am sure you have to be a very good role model, mentor and very active in your community to have won that title. I think for a college campus to have a beauty queen as part of their study body is "interesting". To me, if would be an achievement and probably an EC if my title included having to give appearances (for good causes of course); doing extra community service, etc. Being a beauty queen + something else (opposite of being a beauty queen but still a little different) could make a nice combination "hook". But that is just my opinion. I have read in books and on this board that the admissions officers are looking to build a class, when taking in to consideration who they accept. I think this holds true for the most selective schools; other schools I don't believe care that much about it ( I know 2 off hand that couldn't give a rip about your ECs and/or don't require an essay). Most selective schools don't want to accept all cookie-cutter people. Imagine how boring that would be to attend school with others just like you! Not you personally, but in general. That is why when I read a lot of the stats of people who post and see that 90% have basically the same resume - I think, wow, I would hate to attend a school where everyone is basically the 'same'. How boring. I went to a school this summer and my class consisted of: a Harvard graduate student, a guy who just graduated from Columbia and was entering law school at University of Chicago, an Italian girl living in the U.K., a girl from Norway and a guy who just graduated from college and was getting ready to go into the Peace Corps. We were all so different but obviously, we had some common thread or we would not have been where we were. These are the people that I most enjoyed, the ones that I learned the most from (and still do). Other than their backgrounds that I stated; each was unique in other ways as well. So, our little class was so diverse, so interesting; so enjoyable! Had we had a beauty queen in our class, that too would have added to the diversity. My point is that winning a pageant is kind of unique, a bit different from the norm. Obviously, just winning one pageant may not be a hook, but that with something else unique (and of course having smarts); could make for an interesting hook. Note that I have zero experience applying to college; that is why I am trying to seek answers on this board. I do, however, have a background and experience in other areas of life far different than most of the people on these boards. I currently attend a school for gifted kids and although 30% of them were not born in the U.S; they are all really super smart and basically 'the same'. With the exception of a couple of them; none of them stand out or have any unusual traits, interesting talents or accomplishments. Actually, they are very much like some of the people posting their stats on this board (super high SATS, super high GPAs, play a musical instrument, do lots of CS, involved in a lot of EC activities, are merit finalists, etc.). If you look at them individually, one might say they are unique - but when you group them all together, they are very much the same. I hope that whatever college I get accepted to; the study body is more diverse. Based on my experiences; I can certainly see why having a 'hook' is so important to the college admissions people.</p>
<p>Not a hook for sure ... but a gud thing to be in ur favor for ecs ...
Hooks are very strrong positive points that clearly seperate u on the admission table by impressing everyone on board........</p>
<p>What might be seen as a hook one day by one admission person, might not be seen as a hook to another admission person on another day.</p>
<p>I'm Indian, ummm, i got a 1920 on the SAT's, those 2 should definetaly count as a hook. wait I also can do this thing with my nose, which is kinda cool. okay.</p>
<p>I'm part Indian, I live in a rural town in SD, from an extremely low-income family, etc. Being in South Dakota isn't just a hook because you're from that area. The reason it's sometimes considered to be a hook is because in my town we don't have decent classes and the only real ecs are sports. I've had to take 1000 AP independent studies on top of a full course load, to battle chronic sinus problems missing about 35 days of school on average (getting surgery soon), and I have a terrible background and come from a really bad, poor family with alcoholics and abusive people, etc. My G.P.A. is 4.0, 2300+ SAT scores, I work full time usually, volunteer and tutor in math, and am involved in a lot of church activities. I know none of that is impressive, but if you saw my remote destination and my health/family issues, it's actually impressive.</p>
<p>Worldshopper, Thanks so much for the reply. </p>
<p>I never thought that winning a pageant alone could be a 'hook'. I might be able to make a 'hook' by combining it with my class rank, academic achievements, leadership positions, and community service. </p>
<p>Nice discussion. I am glad that I found this forum.</p>
<p>Harvard, your friggin crazy, props to you. I was gonna be a punk and say, "awww, let me play on the world's smallest violin and cry a river.", but then i realized that hey, that's not cool, you've had a tough life and deserve to go somewhere nice. Good luck wherevver u apply, and uhhh, i wish I had your stats.</p>