<p>AstroPhy, I think this may be a case of semantics and confused terms. A “hook” is something that a college finds very valuable in and of itself for meeting its own objectives. Every applicant is expected to make the most of his available resources in order to be competitive for admission; doing so doesn’t convert an EC into a hook. </p>
<p>On the other hand, coming from a somewhat underrepresented state like Montana can be a bit of a boost for an otherwise-qualified applicant, since every top college wants to include students from all 50 states in each class whenever possible.</p>