S/o student "hooks" for college apps

[Hilltopmom]

Reading another thread about hooks, got me thinking.

 

Hooks aren't necessarily in the childs area of major/ academic interest, right?

 

I mean, our kids should all have experience, academics, clubs, groups, EC, etc in their special area of interest.

 

My Ds is leaning towards computer science/ engineering. He'll have DE classes in CS, summer pre college engineering programs, a few robotics groups, 4 H Stem stuff, etc

But I expect most of the other kids will too, applying to the same types of programs.

 

His "hook" I'd say is... Wait for it......historical re enacting.

Nothing to do with CS or engineering.

 

He's been in 2 groups for years, starting as a young kid in camp, then an officer's messenger on the field, flag bearer, to a soldier with musket in the battle. He's a fully functioning adult member of the group- sets up & takes down camp, speaks to the public in demonstrations (not much though, he's pretty quiet), trains & fields with the adult men. 10-15 weekends a summer.

 

Interesting, right?

But will anyone in STEM field admissions care? It's not like he wants to major in history & work as a professor or museum curator.

The group needs a new website & the guys are hoping he'll take that on (he's never designed one before) & I suggested he start admin- ing our fb page, both good experiences & would pull in his tech interests.

 

He's not out to start a new hobby/ activity just for a "hook", he's too busy with classes & robotics clubs & I know not every one has one, but is this even interesting to anyone other than history buffs?

 

He'll have 4 years of FTC Robotics & underwater robotics too, but the history stuff is different.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Hilltopmom

[regentrude]

Admissions is often (and at all highly selective schools DD applied to) a general department and students do not get admitted based on their choice of future major (except for maybe slight preferences for underrepresented demographics in a certain major)

Colleges like to see an area of passion, which can be a quirky extracurricular that is not related to academic focus area.. Historic reenactment fits the bill nicely. 

But I also don't see that most students would necessarily have extracurricular activities related to their majors.

[Guest]

Agreeing with regentrude.  Admission offices rarely consider the choice of major when applying as an incoming freshman.  Statistics show that upwards toward 80% of students end up changing their majors anyhow.  They are looking for a well-rounded person.  My kids' hook has been the fact that they lived in an RV for an entire year and traveled around the US.  Hardly an academic endeavor.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Kinsa

[quark]

If you were referring to my thread about a low-hook student, it's only because I felt DS is mathy but doesn't do contests and as such has no contest hooks. 

 

I think historical reenacting is awesome! :thumbup: Such a rich interest!

[kewb]

I found homeschooling, at least in my area, is a hook.  One our friends, the admissions person said it was the all the traveling her son did with pokemon and his dedication to tae kwon do that hooked them.

 

From my own experience with ds they are looking for something that shows a passion and dedication to something.  Historical reenactment is definitely unique.

[3andme]

Can I just say I really dislike this whole idea of hooks. I know they are a practical reality for modern day admissions, especially if you want your child to stand out at a more selective college, but it just seems so contrived. <end of rant>

[Hilltopmom]

Can I just say I really dislike this whole idea of hooks. I know they are a practical reality for modern day admissions, especially if you want your child to stand out at a more selective college, but it just seems so contrived. <end of rant>

I totally agree with you:)

 

Particularly if kids joined things just to "be their hook".

 

Can't say I think anyone would agree to march around in a wool uniform half the summer just for a hook, lol;).

Passion & dedication, check.

Edited July 15, 2016 by Hilltopmom

[creekland]

Sounds like a great asset to have on his application.

 

I don't know that I'd consider it a hook.  To me a hook is something like geographic diversity or gender/race being underrepresented or even being the daughter of a President or someone else highly famous.  It can even be being a Tuba player when the band NEEDS one.  They are things that really make it hard to deny someone admission if everything else fits or is close enough.

 

What you are talking about is a different kind of diversity colleges often (but not always) look for.  They want to have variety in their students rather than everyone doing the same thing, and they want it to be something the student is interested in rather than a box being checked.  I think being a Historical Reenactor would fit that bill quite nicely.

 

My guys traveled a bit, were homeschooled, worked for their Dad doing Civil Engineering fieldwork, were Scuba certified, were on the school Chess team, were leaders in youth groups, etc.  These were all assets to their application (or at least I like to think so) beyond academics.

 

Their "hook" was probably our having a rural zip code and, for oldest and youngest, being more than a state away from their schools.

[TheApprentice]

I think a "hook" can be many things. It's basically the universities/colleges wanting to make diverse student bodies. Homeschooling is most certainly a hook. Males in a LAC can be a hook, as well as females in a STEM major. Going to a different region can be a hook. My son will be leaving for Rose-Hulman (Indiana) next month, and we live in Maryland. He got great merit aid.

 

The "hook" is very elusive, meaning what may be a "hook" for one school may not be for another.

[bettyandbob]

Where do these things really get into the application. Unless you are talking about a published scientific paper or Olympic medal, it's all stuff that make you a little bit interesting. I guess there are sections where you might list clubs/activities. I think where some of the passion/interests come out are in essays.

 

My daughter's best essay wasn't about an activity. The school gave her a choice of 3 essay responses with ten topics to choose from. Her best essay was on a topic my dh didn't want her to write about. She wrote about having a 2E older brother and a younger brother with intellectual disabilities and how that had shaped her perspective in interacting and being prepared to be part of environment that inclusive and accepting. It wasn't an activity she chose that gave her perspective, but her own circumstances of life.

 

If your application is going to the point beyond grades and test scores, then what you write needs to really show your unique perspective, not just years of a a focus on something, but the why those years were spent on that focus. The writing is so much better when it comes from that inner perspective.

[bettyandbob]

 

Their "hook" was probably our having a rural zip code and, for oldest and youngest, being more than a state away from their schools.

That's a hook that was mentioned by UVA. They actually said if you thought moving would help with admittance you'd have to move to North Dakota.

[daijobu]

I think this is a wonderful hook as you call it, and it will make for a great personal statement.  It has an element of humor, but could also be a metaphor for some part of his real life.  I imagine there are many aspects to historical re-enactments that an outsider to the activity would find amusing.  Lead with that.  Then draw the reader in to how his work may metaphorically represent a personal quality or struggle he has faced.  I bet there are loads of good material here to work from!   (I already want to read this unwritten essay, or at least learn more about this part of his life!)

 

 

[daijobu]

Having written the above, I have reconsidered a bit, and I would caution about making light and humor of military service.  It's a fine line to take when many Americans are making such sacrifices.  I'm not suggesting that humor in the context of military re-enactments is off limits, but you'll want to read the essay carefully to see how it might read.   

[Hilltopmom]

Having written the above, I have reconsidered a bit, and I would caution about making light and humor of military service. It's a fine line to take when many Americans are making such sacrifices. I'm not suggesting that humor in the context of military re-enactments is off limits, but you'll want to read the essay carefully to see how it might read.

Yes, I agree with this completely. There are a lot of humorous aspects of re enacting, trust me.

 

But also sobering moments when we reflect on the real men who fought from these forts & the actual battles we are re creating for spectators.

[Hilltopmom]

My daughter's best essay wasn't about an activity. The school gave her a choice of 3 essay responses with ten topics to choose from. Her best essay was on a topic my dh didn't want her to write about. She wrote about having a 2E older brother and a younger brother with intellectual disabilities and how that had shaped her perspective in interacting and being prepared to be part of environment that inclusive and accepting. It wasn't an activity she chose that gave her perspective, but her own circumstances of life. .

I've wondered about what he'll write about, he's not at the application point yet. But our family has also had an extreme unique life circumstance that formed his years that I'd truthfully prefer he didn't write about. If he did, it could be a heart breakingly well done attention getting essay, or just a "look at the hardship i went through & came out of" type one. If I was applying to schools, it's what I'd choose, at this point in my life, but perhaps not him. We'll see.

 

The common app essay choices scare me, I'm glad I'm not the one who has those in my future!

[creekland]

That's a hook that was mentioned by UVA. They actually said if you thought moving would help with admittance you'd have to move to North Dakota.

 

For UVA that makes sense.  They are a top state school mainly looking at in-state candidates.  To have a geographical hook from OOS you'd have to really stand out from among the many OOS who apply.

 

Private schools can be a bit different wanting to diversify their student body beyond those who are in state (or in nearby states).  They aren't limited in OOS numbers.

[madteaparty]

Can I just say I really dislike this whole idea of hooks. I know they are a practical reality for modern day admissions, especially if you want your child to stand out at a more selective college, but it just seems so contrived. <end of rant>

I agree. You mean the 60 grand a year is not enough, I need to have a hook in order to earn that priviledge? We will jump through any hoops dear children want us to jump through, but i'd feel like I need a shower afterwards. Anyway DS is interested in the British schools for now and I'm thrilled with that.

[creekland]

I agree. You mean the 60 grand a year is not enough, I need to have a hook in order to earn that priviledge? We will jump through any hoops dear children want us to jump through, but i'd feel like I need a shower afterwards. Anyway DS is interested in the British schools for now and I'm thrilled with that.

 

The best hooks (or other campus diversity factors) aren't planned.  They're who kids are.

 

Some folks plan them, I suppose, but it would sure make for a crappy life to have to do things rather than wanting to do them!

[madteaparty]

The best hooks (or other campus diversity factors) aren't planned. They're who kids are.

 

Some folks plan them, I suppose, but it would sure make for a crappy life to have to do things rather than wanting to do them!

I wouldn't know :)

[FaithManor]

Eldest ds's "hook" was Team America Rocketry Challenge and 4-H STEM pursuits. He is majoring in Writing/Journalism. So I would say that it showed his commitment, abilities, and diligence which is appealing and the admission's assumption is that this translates into a student with perseverance and internal drive to succeed.

 

Middle boy's hook is the same except that the focus of his 4-H STEM has absolutely been related to his declared major. He is a rare kid who was seeking admission to a one and only program in the US for freshwater ecology and conservation. This program is strict. One begins in the major the first semester of the freshman year, all GEN ED are hand picked pre-requisites to something that the dean of this department wants them to have right down to writing for science majors instead of the typical freshman English course, and for social science instead of a history course, a geography course based on climatology. If one does not gain admittance to the major at the outset, it automatically takes five years or more to graduate because one is completely out of sync with the course sequence. Given that several hundred students from around the US applied to the program and only 25 were accepted into the major, I think that his extracurricular activities including his DNA volunteer work tracking invasive species in Michigan and collecting water samples definitely gave him the edge given the competition.

 

Youngest ds's will absolutely be linked to his major, not because we engineered it that way, but just because this is all that boy wants to do, LOL!. He is waffling between robotics engineering and aerospace engineering. This year's two big extracurriculars are his MOOC robotics course with the capstone project, and Student Launch Initiative with NASA. Outside of enjoying skiing and hiking on an informal level, and chess on a pretty passionate level but without much competitive opportunity, he is one focused young man.

 

While this is not common for most freshman to need extra-curriculars to match intended major, two caveats are music and art. Music majors simply must come in with a high level of accomplishment and extra-curricular activities in order to have a chance, and the major begins with the first semester of the freshman year due to four semesters of music theory which must be completed before 3000 level work can commence, and one would not be prepared for the freshman jury which determines if the student is allowed to continue as a music major or is demoted to minor or kicked out of the program all together. Art is the same though based on portfolio of work, but then a four year stream of art coursework where doubling up is not an option in order to catch up with preparation for gallery shows beginning the freshman year, etc. So if a student seems to have a strong bent towards art or music, I would recommend that the high school years do include the necessary experiences and training to get into one of those programs. Students if they gain admission to a school but not the music department as freshman will have the opportunity for certain to major in something else assuming they applied to a university or LAC, but if one is seeking a school of music/conservatory then one is going to have to tailor high school life to that.

 

I don't think most other college majors operate this way so admission's reps are mostly just looking for specific qualities which can be demonstrated through a wide variety of activities.

[FaithManor]

The best hooks (or other campus diversity factors) aren't planned.  They're who kids are.

 

Some folks plan them, I suppose, but it would sure make for a crappy life to have to do things rather than wanting to do them!

Well sure, if the parent is forcing it on the student simply for the purpose of college admission. I wouldn't want it that way either. However, given that I knew before 6th grade that I would someday likely desire to audition for a school of music, my parents would have been hard pressed to keep me away from my piano lessons, master classes, concerts, solo and ensemble, band and orchestra festival, practicing four - six hours a day every day in the summers and on breaks, three hours a day during the school year, Interlochen, .....

 

It would have taken a straight jacket and sedation to keep me down. I was not considered "normal".  :D  So I do see the other side of that. Two of my four kids have known fairly young what they wanted to be when they grew up and demonstrated enough internal drive and passion without parental guidance for us to be willing to help them gear their extracurricular activities towards their passions.

[lewelma]

I read here recently about someone whose kid is the world record holder for the rubics cube.  And people said it was a good hook because it made him memorable. 

 

Is that one of the purposes of a hook?

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I've wondered about what he'll write about, he's not at the application point yet. But our family has also had an extreme unique life circumstance that formed his years that I'd truthfully prefer he didn't write about. If he did, it could be a heart breakingly well done attention getting essay, or just a "look at the hardship i went through & came out of" type one. If I was applying to schools, it's what I'd choose, at this point in my life, but perhaps not him. We'll see.

 

The common app essay choices scare me, I'm glad I'm not the one who has those in my future!

 

There were a couple things that I thought needed to be addressed, but weren't the topic of his essay.  I put short but detailed enough blurbs about them into the school profile and the counselor report.

 

I took the approach that there were a handful of things that were important to convey.  If they didn't show up in what he submitted, then I tried to cover them in my submissions.  I was also able to do it in a way that contextualized some things, without making it out to be the all encompassing label for him.

[Gwen in VA]

I figured that if I helped my kids lead interesting lives (pursuing their passions, pursuing rigorous academics, etc.), the colleges would be thrilled.

 

They did just that and the colleges were thrilled.

 

The advantage of the "just help your kids live interesting lives" approach is that if they drop out of college (as one of mine did), they STILL have led interesting lives! They had great life experiences that helped them to become interesting adults with a myriad of odd skills and talents!

[anne1456]

I read here recently about someone whose kid is the world record holder for the rubics cube.  And people said it was a good hook because it made him memorable. 

 

Is that one of the purposes of a hook?

 

Anything that makes you memorable (in a good way) is a plus. If an admissions officer can think of a kid as "the rubics cube champ" that is more compelling than if the admissions officer remembers a kid as one of hundreds of white, male kids from NJ who wants to be an engineer, has lots of APs and plays sports. For top schools there are so many impressive kids applying with amazing stats and good essays that a kid who doesn't stand out in some way can just get lost in the pile of cookie cutter applications. 

 

I have always heard that a "hook" is something big, like recruited athlete, Intel science fair winner, or child of big donor. The things talked about here are more "tips" that make the application stand out and can push a child over the top. But whatever you call it, it helps if admissions officers remember a child and find them interesting.

Edited July 16, 2016 by anne1456

[snowbeltmom]

I have always heard that a "hook" is something big, like recruited athlete, Intel science fair winner, or child of big donor. The things talked about here are more "tips" that make the application stand out and can push a child over the top. But whatever you call it, it helps if admissions officers remember a child and find them interesting.

 

:iagree:   I think of a hook as something that results in the application being flagged and going through a special admissions process. 

 

[Hilltopmom]

Ok, I guess "hook" isn't the word I was looking for.

 

More like, "different, interesting thing that helps your application stand out from the rest of the crowd", lol.

[daijobu]

Ok, I guess "hook" isn't the word I was looking for.

 

More like, "different, interesting thing that helps your application stand out from the rest of the crowd", lol.

 

Segueing into semantics...

 

I understood your meaning of the word "hook."  I first heard the word in the context of music, as described in this Wikipedia article:  A hook is a musical idea, often a short riff, passage, or phrase, that is used in popular music to make a song appealing and to "catch the ear of the listener".

 

I suspect the definition was later extended to include essays:  "An essay hook is the first one or two sentences of your essay. It serves as an introduction and works to grab the reader’s attention. The first couple sentences will help your reader decide whether they want to continue reading your essay or not."

 

If the hook for an essay was a brief amusing anecdote about historical reenactments, that would get my attention because I know little about this activity.  It isn't enough to get a student admitted to a school.  I would expect in a personal statement something deeper, to help me understand the candidate.  

 

Later when the admissions committee meets to put the applications into the "accept", "waitlist", and "reject" piles I imagine one person at the table saying, "Okay, what do we think of historical reenactment guy?"  

 

Another example of a hook is the use of a trip to Costco to structure an essay.  I imagine the adcom was referring to her as "Costco girl" in their committee meeting.  (Admittedly, many on these boards did not care for the Costco theme.)

 

I had never heard of the word hook to describes athletes or donors.  

[Nan in Mass]

I agree with Gwen about just focusing on living interesting lives (preferably compassionate, interesting lives) and not worrying too much. I think many technical programs look for other interests, things like historical enactment, in their applicants in the hopes that it is an indication of the sort of out of the box thinking that will lead to their students inventing cool things later in life and being a credit to their university. Or something like that.

 

Nan

[GoodGrief]

The thing is that there really are many, MANY college applicants with decent grades and test scores, fine work ethics, and lovely personalities. At some point, especially for schools who are sorting through a gazillion applications of young people who would all do well as students there, there has to be a way of making a choice between Student A and Student B. That's what the hook is about, and different schools are going to be looking for different things. The hook doesn't necessarily need to be an activity; it could be a personal trait though obviously it would need to be evidenced in some way :-)

 

Historical re-enactments are a cool way to demonstrate a passion for history, performance, group activities! I think that says a lot about your student, if he can explain his interest in it well.

 

Both my older daughters benefited from geographical diversity, being from a low population state. Homeschooling served as a hook or a liability, depending on the reader. But generally a hook for schools, I think. It seemed that it may have been more of a liability for outside scholarship programs (my personal assessment, with no proof ;-) ) My most recent applicant certainly benefited from the female in engineering thing at most schools.

Edited July 16, 2016 by Gr8lander

[Hoggirl]

I have always thought of a "hook," as being pretty narrowly defined: URM, recruited athlete, development candidate (wealthy parents), *maybe* legacy in some circumstances, though I think the impact of that is dwindling significantly.

 

I absolutely agree that doing somthing to acquire a label (e.g. "historical reenactment guy") is helpful. But, I don't consider that a hook.

[GoodGrief]

I was thinking more about this last night; for selective colleges, in particular, I think it's helpful if the student has a bit of a cohesive story that makes them interesting/memorable. And every good story has something that ties all the parts together. Maybe the re-enactments can be that for your student. Regardless, he should make sure he is giving the schools sufficient insight into who he is, and why he would be an asset to/succeed at their campus.

[Laura Corin]

For information: in UK terms, you would be looking for something in the area of the desired degree subject.  They are not looking for breadth, but real interest in the subject that goes beyond what school taught.  In Calvin's case (seeking to study English and Classics) runner up in a national poetry competition and spending his summer learning Ancient Greek from scratch.