7 Good Hooks for Essays – with College Essay Examples
July 17, 2024
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples — we begin with an example…
I felt a bead of sweat drip down my cheek as I stared at the blank document, ready to begin my first college essay. I wanted to type something, but my fingers sat still as though I鈥檇 forgotten how to use a keyboard. How do start?
Perhaps you can relate to this image. As it turns out, imagery itself could solve the problem for this writer.
As you write your college essays you should aim to engage your readers from the very first sentence. Why is this important? While college admissions officers may have already peered at your grades and activity lists, your essay is their first opportunity to get a sense of your unique personality. While you should avoid overloading your essay with complex metaphors and statistics (this could make you seem disorganized, insincere, or snobbish), a slightly unconventional or surprising start to the essay can work wonders.
We advise applicants to strengthen their college essays by beginning with hooks, or statements that pull in the attention of readers. Great hooks often come in the form of images, questions, strong declarations, and more. Continue reading for 7 types of great hooks for college essays, as well as college essay hook examples for each.
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples
1) Tell a story
This one is a personal favorite. A story hook involves beginning with a short anecdote related to your essay topic. Connecting your topic to a story is a great way to make your essay more exciting and memorable overall. With this hook type, it鈥檚 important that your story connects to your essay topic. It鈥檚 also important that it doesn鈥檛 become too long or unwieldy (a strong story can often be told in 1-3 sentences). Regardless, a story hook will likely be a bit longer than the other hooks you might use.
Example 1: I would spend my Sundays strolling through the aisles of the fabric store, touching various laces and chiffons. I was fascinated by the colors and textures, inspired to create something, though I had no clue how to do so without some kind of unattainable expertise. One Sunday in early autumn, I met the woman who would teach me how to sew, leading me on the path to becoming a costume designer for our school plays.
(Through this story, the applicant appeals to the reader鈥檚 senses and successfully prepares for a discussion about their sewing and costume design experience).
Example 2: As we picked up trash along the trail, reaching for sharp bottle caps and sticky candy wrappers glimmering in the sunlight, I thought about how each one of these remnants could end up in the world鈥檚 oceans. My summer of volunteering at the state park confirmed my interest in pursuing environmental science.
(This story hook perfectly sets up a college essay about one鈥檚 community service experience and passion for environmental science).
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples (Continued)
2) Describe something interesting
Similar to the story hook, the description hook draws in readers by recounting a vivid scene, which may or may not feed into a longer story. Used frequently in many types of writing, the point of the description is to develop intrigue, making readers curious to know more.
Example 1: Rain poured down as I sat in the car, hearing only loud thumps against the windshield. The sky was darkening and my phone had almost completely lost signal. With nowhere to go and no one to call, I came to a realization.
(Playing off of the 鈥�it was a dark and stormy night鈥� trope, this application writer develops intrigue by describing a lonely, rainy, and possibly frightening atmosphere).
Example 2: My grandmother鈥檚 homemade blintzes were always warm and cloud-like, with soft and sweet cheese oozing from their edges. Nobody in the family could make blintzes like she could. With each bite, I imagined her grandmother making them for her, and more generally, her life in Poland before she immigrated to the United States.
(Describing a familiar recipe or family tradition is a great way to lead into a discussion of one鈥檚 culture and identity).
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples (Continued)
3) Ask a thought-provoking question
You might also begin by asking a question related to your essay topic. Asking an interesting question, especially one that the reader may not have thought of, commonly leads to a desire to continue reading for the answer. This can be a rhetorical question (one that lends itself to an obvious answer, often used to make a point) or a genuine question (one you are sincerely asking yourself or someone else).
Example 1: Who wouldn鈥檛 want to be a Broadway star?
(This rhetorical question could begin an essay about an applicant who yearns to be onstage and pursue theater in college, or who once desired to act on stage but now wants to apply their theater background to a psychology major. Though of course not everyone wants to be a Broadway star, the rhetorical framing reveals the author鈥檚 perspective).
Example 2: When is it okay to eat animals?
(This genuine question could begin an essay about an applicant who grapples with the food industry, perhaps one who works or grew up on a farm or in the food service industry).
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples (Continued)
4) Make a declaration
If you鈥檙e writing about a topic that you feel strongly about, you may start with a declarative statement. Perhaps this statement is widely agreed upon, or maybe it鈥檚 more of a 鈥渉ot take鈥� (a controversial opinion that your reader could disagree with). Either way, you should support this statement as the essay unfolds. This hook is strongest when short and concise.
Example 1: In most situations, it鈥檚 far better to listen than to speak.
(This declaration sets the stage for discussing the skill of listening, perhaps a situation in which listening skills came in handy for the college applicant).
Example 2: 听Reality TV offers crucial life lessons.
(This is an example of a more surprising 鈥渉ot take,鈥� since readers may not expect to hear that important life lessons can be learned from seemingly-frivolous reality TV. If supported thoughtfully, this hook can demonstrate the applicant鈥檚 confidence and humor).
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples (Continued)
5) Quote someone
Similar to declarations, quotes are often used because they are powerful, succinct, and eye-catching. Additionally, their familiarity or trustworthiness can add credibility to a college essay. Strong quotes can come from a variety of sources, from famous scientists, to politicians, to favorite high school teachers, to a book or film characters. Quotes can be moving, inspirational, thought-provoking, or funny, so long as they connect clearly to your essay topic.
Example 1: Author, poet, and Civil Rights Movement activist Maya Angelou once said, 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.鈥�
(This famous quote by an important literary figure is perfect for setting up a discussion on the importance of doing good deeds or treating others with kindness).
Example 2: 鈥淭he road to success is always under construction,鈥� stated actress and comedian Lily Tomlin.
(If you鈥檇 like to give your essay a humorous edge, why not quote a comedian? This quote hook might introduce an essay that describes some bumps in the road along the way to success).
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples (Continued)
6) Give a surprising fact or statistic
Especially if your essay discusses scientific issues, social phenomena, or current events, it can be interesting to begin with a fact that the reader may not already know. Whether or not your fact contains statistics, it鈥檚 important to make sure the information comes from a credible source (which you should cite). You might visit , or a reputable newspaper or magazine such as , , or . As with other types of hooks, make sure your fact connects to the rest of your essay and your life (your college essay should primarily be about your own identity and interests, as much as you might find it interesting to discuss a current event or political issue).
Example 1: Though women outnumber men in the U.S. college-educated workforce, they only make up about a third of workers in the country鈥檚 10 highest-paying jobs ().
(An applicant using this hook might continue on to discuss how they have dedicated themselves to feminist issues and plan to continue doing so in college).
Example 2: More than 40% of plastic is only used once, before being tossed ().
(An applicant might be introducing an essay about starting an initiative at school to reduce plastic waste).
Good Hooks for Essays with College Essay Examples (Continued)
7) Name a common misconception
The common misconception hook challenges readers to rethink an assumption, or something commonly taken for granted. This can be an intriguing start to a college essay, while also demonstrating the writer鈥檚 capacity to reflect and think critically.
Example 1: Many believe that meditation is about emptying the mind, getting rid of all thoughts in order to find an ultimate state of calm. However, I鈥檝e come to understand that it鈥檚 actually about focusing on the present.
(This would be a great way to begin an essay about how and why someone began meditating, and what the practice has taught them over the years).
Example 2: While people commonly associate 鈥渂eing intelligent鈥� with having a wealth of facts memorized, being able to quickly complete math problems or memorize SAT words, a theory demonstrates that humans actually have 8 types of intelligence, including spatial intelligence and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence ().
(This applicant might go on to discuss spatial and bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, and what they have learned from practicing volleyball and modern dance).
Further reading
If you are in fact sitting in front of the computer, having difficulty with the start of your college essays, hopefully these 7 types of essay hooks have offered some inspiration. While they are great ways to begin your Common App essay, tools such as quotes, facts, and stories can be useful in your body paragraphs and conclusions. They can also apply to your supplemental essays, including those on diversity and community.
For more advice to ease your college essay writing process, check out the following articles:
