Here is my video response to the question.
Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press On’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. – Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States (1872 – 1933)
make sure you leave positive impression to admissions rep during college fair and school visits. without counselor’s introduction, you can still communicate with the colleges directly. there was a story about a applicant sending funny postcards to the admissions office every week and finally got accepted, he late became one of the David Letterman’s successful writer. it was a true story. that’s a college admissions hook.
All schools expect to put together a bright freshman class and to do that they review your grades, classes and test scores. But, because there are so many bright students applying each year, they do a finer review of each application looking for those with a “hook”. A Hook could be defined as having a special talent. That talent could certainly be athletic- i.e. a state ranked athlete. Or your talent might be in the arts, where you have an extensive theater, music or dance resume. There are many different types of hooks and colleges need to fill their sports teams, their orchestras, debate teams, newspapers etc. with the most talented students possible. Having a hook will not take the place of a poor academic profile, but for those students “on the bubble” it might certainly make the different as to their admissions decision.
In college admissions, a “hook” is something that makes a candidate stand out in a competitive review process. Students who possess a characteristic, experience or quality that is desired by the institution are said to have a “hook.” Perhaps you are a tuba player destined to dot a famous “i.” Or, maybe you are interested in pursuing a major that is traditionally under-subscribed. The “hook” question is one that reminds students that admission offices ultimately make decisions that fulfill the needs and mission of their institution.
When most people talk about having a “hook”, I believe they are referring to their essay. It’s the opening line that catches the reader’s attention and makes them want to keep reading. Some people may think it refers to the “spike” in you profile that makes you stand out from the crowd. While you appear well-rounded, there is an area that you are REALLY passionate about, or that makes you really unique aside from the rest of your application. You can’t force a “spike”, you either have one or you don’t.
A “hook” is another aspect of your admissions file which could be an extra incentive to the admissions office to send you the acceptance letter. Depending on the requirements and priorities of the college, such qualities could include but are not limited to talents such as athletics or music to legacies to development admits to diversity.
In the world of college admissions a hook is the thing that sets an applicant apart. At a selective school that is sifting through a seemingly endless number of highly qualified applicants, a hook is the thing–a specific and special talent (a long snapper in football), a singular accomplishment (any patents on file?), a piece of your story (overcoming a critical illness) that separates someone from the pack and gives the admission office a reason to accept them instead of the 5, 6, or 7 others who could fill that space. Every high school has a student government president, every school has a valedictorian, but there are other, more distinctive things that can set an applicant apart. Not everyone has a distinctive hook. Great all around records still count for a lot, but to have a hook on top of that can be of great value.
A college admissions hook is an special attribute a student will bring to a school. It can be a talent, a specific diversity, or legacy among a host of other items.
In my opinion it’s something extraordinary that makes the student stand out like Yao Ming does in a crowd.
A hook is something that makes you tick–or something you’re passionate about that is unique. Maybe you’re really into fly-fishing, maybe you’re into taxidermy (hopefully scientifically, not as a creepy obsession), maybe you’re multi-racial and you’re living in an otherwise homogenous community and you have an interesting experience to reflect on.
The hook is any or multiple elements of your profile that stand out and could be used by admissions officers to describe you during committee discussions or written evaluations. As admissions get more and more competitive the hook becomes more elaborate. It’s not enough just to be the valedictorian or the star swimmer. Now it might sound something like: the valedictorian, star swimmer boy who loves poetry and has won several national competitions; or, a girl in the top 10% of her class who has won film competitions for directing and who is graduating one year early to volunteer providing HIV/AIDs Prevention Support at a pre-school in South Africa; or a student who works 40 hours/week to help support their family financially and is still in the top 10% of their graduating class. I should say that these profiles are made up, but represent the caliber of achievement and experience that a competitive applicant to a top university would have. To find your hook, think about 1) activities you’re good at 2) activities you enjoy 3) how to tie it all together.
Hooks are things that stick out on an application i.e. athlete, legacy, music, band.
A hook is a combination of attributes that you highlight in your application. It can be academic, cultural, ethnic, athletic, artistic, philosophical or many other possibilities. For instance, you may be a basketball player who intends to major in the classics. When a highly selective college is trying to put together a well rounded class, it means they want unique and pointy individuals. Having a hook is invaluable.
A college admissions hook is a special talent or attribute that makes the student stand out from other applicants. Examples of hooks include athletics, legacies, musicians, artists, linguists, or interest in a specific program offered at a particular college.
The often much discussed “hook” is the aspect or components of your application that grab the readers’ attention by virtue of memorability, poignancy or singular impact. I once read a hilarious love story about a boy and his laptop. It is not specific to a topic or tone as much as the “one thing” you shared or described that makes it difficult for the reviewer to dismiss your story or outcome.
Sponsored Meaning Explained
EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Ad” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school. Your trust is our priority. We at EducationDynamics believe you should make decisions about your education with confidence. that’s why EducationDynamicsis also proud to offer free information on its websites, which has been used by millions of prospective students to explore their education goals and interests. close