<p>I’m an Southeast Asian female (so yeah, not URM). My family moved to the US 5 years ago. I struggled a lot to learn English, and now I’m top of my class. My classmates and teachers all think that’s an amazing story. Since my parents don’t speak English at all I have to help them with a lot of things in the household, which limits my options in EC…do you think that’s a hook in terms of college admissions?</p>
<p>I don’t know about a “hook” for a domestic applicant at least but definitely material for a good essay.</p>
<p>First Gen, URM, Legacy, etc. seem to be the usual hooks.</p>
<p>Being at the top of your class in such a short time is a pretty amazing story, but it isn’t a “hook”. A “hook” is something that will get you taken out of the regular applicant pool, and cause your application to be reviewed separately and more favorably. Usually this is reserved for the children of major donors (or of potential major donors), athletes that the coaches really, really, really want, or someone else who is exceptionally valuable to the college/university. </p>
<p>You need to have a discussion with your parents about your college education. If you are their primary translator, who will do that if you go away for college? What sort of jobs do they have right now? Can they help pay for your education? If they can’t, you need to spend some time in the Financial Aid Forum learning more about your options. Take a look at the sub-forum on Questbridge. You might qualify for that.</p>
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<p>Who is considered a URM can vary somewhat with the college and the specific country of origin. For instance, some LACs have a difficult time recruiting and retaining Asian students, particularly recent immigrants from countries like Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.</p>
<p>See the description of Amherst’s Diversity Open House:</p>
<p><a href=“https://www.amherst.edu/admission/diversity/divoh[/url]”>https://www.amherst.edu/admission/diversity/divoh</a></p>