Difficult Definitions: Hook vs. Brand

When I first started writing CollegeApp Chick I wrote a post about my opinions on so-called “high reach schools” and why I like to term them Lottery Schools.

I mentioned why expecting to get into a reach was unrealistic, and further debunked the myth of a “hook”

Hook is often used interchangeably with what I would call a brand. But these are two very different things.

A hook is a factor that adds enough value to an under qualified applicant that they become qualified.
For example:
-An incredible football player will add value to the school by increasing the teams record. A winning season means more alumni donations to the school.
-A nearly qualified applicant whose family has been attending since the school was founded and donates millions of dollars to the school. If they don’t let this kid in the money train might stop.

-An under-represented minority student who did incredibly well in school despite a hard upbringing will rise to the challenge of the school, and also boost the “diversity” statistics.
-A child star who is still fairly well-known. This celebrity is free advertising to the school and will increase applicants.

The way hook is usually used is what I would call a brand.

A brand is the collection of factors that set an applicant apart from other applicants. Just like how in advertising each brand tries to make itself unique, each applicant must tailor their brand into a story of who they are and what they will add to the school.

Your brand might be three season athlete or poet or model UN kid or science research.

Now you’re thinking wait, how is that supposed to set me apart? There are thousands of kids who are just like me.

Here’s where the unique comes in.

You will distinguish yourself through awards, leadership, and secondary activities.

There’s a ton of three season athletes out there, but how many of them also president of quiz bowl?
Plenty of kids do Speech and Debate tournaments, but placing in the top 5 in your state, or top 10 in the country sets you apart.
You might love making short movies and are active in film club, but you’ve also had insane internships with local studios and theaters.

Instead of just a list of activities, make yourself into a comprehensive story. Show what is important to you, and what you are passionate about, and show them why and how.

For example, I was a theatre/performing kid in high school. I did a billion plays a year, I was president of drama club and ITS, I sang in the competitive a capella group and was a section leader, I competed in Forensics and placed 3^rd and 8^th in NY State, and my community service involved singing and performing. I had a few other negligible activities, but the things I was passionate about were performance based.

But I also loved to read, and part of my essay was about challenging myself to read more plays to broaden my experience as a reader and a performer.

That was my brand. I loved to perform and was talented and committed to that, but I was also a politically engaged intellectual. That is what set me apart from the hundreds of other girls just like me.

I didn’t have a hook, but I didn’t need one. What I did have was a well-tailored brand, and that made all the difference.