<p>It is something I have been considering for a long time. I've had some interesting experiences in my life, and I am now seriously considering writing a book about it. I am looking to possibly start soon, but it probably won't be finished, and definitely won't be published, by November. Can I tell colleges I am in the process? Will that look not as good as if it were already published? Will it be a major hook? If so, exactly how big?</p>
<p>I plan on writing something about my experiences w/ pretty bad OCD in 8th grade, early high school, and also talk about my spirituality and how to be a 'hero' in everyday life.</p>
<p>Any thoughts/suggestions are much appreciated!! Wish me luck!</p>
<p>There’s a huge difference between writing a book and writing a book of such quality that commercial ventures will publish it (i.e. outsiders find your writing to be compelling enough to invest their money). The former is really a self-diversion. The latter, could qualify for a significant EC.</p>
<p>^There’s also a huge difference between having written a book and thinking about maybe writing one. I, for one, am thinking about starting a multimillion dollar social network. Or perhaps winning a Nobel prize for this invention I came up with. Not to be rude, but actually writing a book is an entirely different animal than having an idea for writing a book. If you want to, well, great. But do it for your own personal growth, as it probably won’t have any weight in terms of college admissions.</p>
<p>T26E4 hit the nail on the head. Also keep in mind that if you do get a book published (and self-publishing doesn’t count, unless your book actually becomes successful, which would be unlikely) it would make for a great EC, but definitely not a “major hook.”</p>
<p>Not a hook even if it were published. It would only really be a hook if it were say nationally-recognized. A hook is something that fills the need of a college, and while being an author is cool, it is nothing that colleges will go out of their way to search for.</p>
<p>It is nonetheless a great EC to have on your application!</p>
<p>Of course it would look better if the book was published. Make sure, while writing the book, that 1) You are not writing the book to look good on college apps. I know that you must have other reasons, but make sure that those other reasons outweigh looking good to colleges by a lot and 2) That you are ready. Writing a memoir can be nice, but sometimes it’s better to write a memoir about something that you went through in middle school later in life, after you have had time enough to actually reflect and be affected by your experiences. Unless you went through something absolutely momentous and unique, and you have out-of-the-ordinary advice that is clearly far beyond your years, I don’t think that writing this book is a good idea - not just in the eyes of the college application process, but in general. </p>
<p>In conclusion, I think that it can help your college apps a bit, but it’s not a hook by any means. Anyone can write a book nowadays with self-publishing, etc. And I would make sure that you are truly ready to write a book for the sake of quality.</p>