<p>Hello! I’m not making a real chance thread yet because I’m still working at raising my ACT & SAT scores, but Brown is my dream school and I was wondering about a few things. I’ve been homeschooled for my full educational career, I’m adopted and I’m also a foster sibling (as in, my parents are foster parents). Would these things make me stand out when applying to Brown? I’m planning on applying ED.</p>
<p>Those aren’t exactly hooks.
They can be excellent essay topics that distinguish yourself from the other applicants, though.</p>
<p>Seconded. Hooks are generally personal accomplishments.</p>
<p>Ahh, okay, I must have seen the word thrown around and misunderstood the meaning.</p>
<p>Actually, hooks are usually things like legacy status and URM status.</p>
<p>homeschooled might be</p>
<p>^^^^^^^
I have never heard of homeschooling being a hook.</p>
<p>URM status, recruited athlete, famous person, legacy, or your parents have donated BIG money are the only ones I can think of.</p>
<p>No hooks are pretty much what everyone else has said: URM, legacy, recruited athlete. And others hooks are serious achievements such as: winning nationals for a sport, helping start a really successful foundation/non-profit (and I mean really successful, not just a random one) etc.</p>
<p>There are some books out on what makes a great essay. You want to steer away from the “I had a hard thingy to overcome, but I persevered, now I am a fine, humble, but immensely talented human being.”</p>
<p>You could have some fun with how terrific it is to be wanted and how you’ve learned to be enthusiastic about really going the extra mile to become a strong family. Look at your life and write an essay so that the admissions officer sits up and says “man, she’d be cool to have in class!” Good luck.</p>
<p>some other hooks: low income, first generation college student, etc</p>
<p>A hook is something that the college or university has identified as an institutional goal. So if the college has a strategic plan that says “increase the number of first-generation college students,” that is a hook. Colleges typically have goals of wanting URMs, legacies, athletes, geographic and income diversity in their classes – so those are hooks. </p>
<p>Being adopted is not anything special in terms of college admissions. But being homeschooled and a foster kid will make you stand out among other applicants. These may not help you get in, but they potentially could make your application more interesting to the admission committee. Your profile may be different or interesting enough to give you a tip.</p>
<p>You don’t have to write an essay about either of those. Only do so if that’s what you are comfortable writing about.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone, these are helpful tips. =]</p>