How to Stand Out in The College Application Process: Find Your “Hook”

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed middle school and are now walking the halls of high school. These years fly by, and soon enough you’ll be having conversations about your future and whether you’ll apply to college.

Maybe neither of your parents completed a four-year college degree (Bachelor’s degree), but it’s a goal of yours. Still, some looming questions hang over your head: How can you earn your way into a highly competitive university and secure a full scholarship? What will make you stand out and have admissions loving your application?

This is where the hook comes in.

What is “the Hook”?

A hook is what captures an admissions team’s eye when they’re reviewing your college application. Students who stand out in the college application process have a hook!

Enrolling in challenging core classes (math, English, science, social studies, languages, etc.) and earning top grades is very important; however, it’s not always enough. You need a hook.

• Do you play a sport year-round?
• Did you create a club in high school?
• Do you race cars on weekends?
• Do you ride horses on Saturdays?
• Are you a leader in local theatre productions?
• Did you cultivate a garden and bring the organic produce to a local homeless shelter?

These are a few examples of my former students’ hooks. Being involved in activities will give your application depth and appeal to admissions teams.

Ways to Get Involved in Your School

Your high school likely has multiple people you can ask about getting involved in extracurricular programs that interest you. I suggest reaching out to at least one of the following to explore what activities might be great for you:

1. Athletic/Activities Director: This person organizes sports and clubs at your school. If you attend a large high school, there may be two people who share this role or split responsibilities
2. Your favorite teacher: Ask them for suggestions on what clubs to join
3. Upperclassmen (juniors and seniors): They typically know which clubs are fun, exciting, and competitive (and open doors to earning awards). Ask neighbors or friends’ older siblings for their opinions
4. Your freshman advisory or seminar teacher: If you have one, they can explain various options on campus
5. Take school events seriously: If your school holds a club fair, visit as many tables as possible. If your school doesn’t, this is your chance to ask the principal if you can organize one. Creating programs that help other people is a great example of leadership (leadership will be a future topic on this blog)

Make Your Hook Stronger in the Eyes of Admissions Teams

Now that you have a starting point, keep the notes below in mind so you can make your hook stand out in the eyes of admissions committees:

• Highly competitive universities seek out students who are not only involved, but who have hooks that have earned awards in those fields
• A student who is involved all four years of high school in the same sport or club carries more weight. Don’t wait until junior or senior year to become involved in an extracurricular activity
• Depth is more important than breadth. In other words, don’t try to join every club and become president of all of them. It’s better to be deeply involved in a couple of clubs or sports and really make a difference in your community in those areas
• There are additional perks to being involved! You’ll gain an instant group of new friends. The coach or sponsor can answer your questions as you adjust to high school and help you stay on track toward your post-secondary goals

Next Steps in Your College Journey

Once you’ve identified your hook, you’ll eventually want to express it clearly in your application. Check out our guide on writing a successful college essay to learn how to showcase it.

As you start planning ahead, you can also learn how to narrow your college list so it aligns with your goals.

When you're ready to take the next step, you can apply to Coalition colleges directly through Scoir and even manage your college list.

This article was originally published on November 11, 2019. It was updated on November 19, 2025 for accuracy and comprehensiveness.