The Power of the Hook : Part 4

The College Hook: Packaging Yourself to Win the College Admissions Game
By Pam Proctor

(Page 4 of 4)

What's more, he said, the wave of enthusiastic feedback he received from his photographs gave a huge boost to his confidence.

"That's when I had a sense of what being an artist was really like. Part of the privilege of being able to make art is that you do have an audience. I want people to see my work. That's why I'm making pictures. Having such an early and positive experience showed me what was possible."

These days, Josh's sights are set on developing a body of work that can carry him into the future. But wherever his career takes him, one thing is certain: He is well on his way to success in life, all because he discovered the right Hook for his college applications - and ran with it all the way through the ivy gates.

From College to Self-Confidence

As Josh's story illustrates, the college application process doesn't end in April when the final acceptances and rejections roll in. For one thing, many students must next launch a strategy for "working the wait list," a process that involves further fine-tuning and selling of the special Hook (explained in Chapter Twenty-Five).

Perhaps even more important, the design and implementation of a college application strategy almost always starts a typically timid, unsure high school student on the road to new self-confidence and self-esteem. The discovery of a personal College Hook almost always leads to greater self-assurance and performance in college. Many times, the discovery of a Hook will give students such enhanced life focus that they will find themselves on the path to an eventual career.

The Hook may begin as a sophisticated college admissions marketing plan, but it often ends on a much broader field of personal self-fulfillment and significant occupational achievement.

A Quick Guide to The College Hook Program

As you move through the pages of The College Hook, you'll discover how to employ a proven strategy for maximizing your odds in the college application process. Specifically, you'll learn the basics of:

Discovering Your Hook: In the remaining chapters of Part I, you'll begin to identify your Hook and jump-start your application efforts by learning how to "cook up a Hook." By probing deeply into your passions and interests with proven preliminary questions that have made my clients successful, you will cut through a potentially confusing and unfocused jumble of facts and activities - and begin to zero in on the one thing that will make you a standout. This section will feature a brief rundown on real Hooks that worked.

The Top Ten College Hooks: Although there are as many Hooks as there are students, those special abilities tend to fall into categories, such as music, science, or athletics, which colleges typically draw on to fill a class. In Part II, you'll get an inside look at the real-life experiences of ten students whose Hooks represent some of the most popular categories. Their Hooks helped shape their applications and paved their way to a wide range of schools that fit their interests.

Packaging Your Hook: Once you've determined your Hook, in Part III you'll pull your application together into a communications vehicle with a single, powerful message as you weave your Hook into your essays, résumé, activities lists, and supplemental submissions. Packaging secrets from professional PR and national journalism, which I've learned from my extensive background in both those fields, will be translated into successful applications.

Among other things, The College Hook will guide you step-by-step through the process of developing a smashing lead on your essays and creating eye-catching subheads on your résumé. Every detail of your college admissions package will be designed to communicate your special persona powerfully to admissions personnel. This section will include sample essays, résumés, and activities lists to give you hands-on instruction.

As part of your packaging strategy, you'll also learn how to bolster your Hook by taking your special talents to a sophisticated, or even semi-professional or professional, level. Many students have transformed non-paying avocations or interests into significant summer jobs or special activities involving strong connections with leading professionals in the community.

Practical examples and brainstorming suggestions will help you think outside the box and discover how you can strengthen your strengths with internships, special projects you can pursue at school, and portfolios.

Selling Your Hook: In Part IV, you'll learn the fine points of approaching colleges by using cover letters, e-mail, interviews, and contacts to your advantage - not only during the main application phase, but also in the deferral and wait-list process. A crucial chapter, "Working the Wait List," will empower you to take charge of your destiny until the very end in these high-pressure times.

Now let's immerse ourselves in some creative Hooks that have helped scores of students reach for and gain admission to their dream colleges.

© 2007 by Pam Proctor

About the Author

Pam Proctor, a former senior editor of Parade, is the author of seven non-fiction books, including: Love, Miracles and Animal Healing, with Allen M. Schoen, D.V.M; Looking Good at Any Age, with dermatologist Amy E. Newburger, M.D; and The Joy of Living, with "Today Show" personality Willard Scott. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and holds a Master's degree in government from Claremont Graduate University. Pam Proctor lives in Vero Beach, Florida.