<p>I go to one of the top public schools in the nation which doesn't say much, and I also go to a pretty tough high school. I'm African American but live in a $200k/yr househould. My mom is always telling me that being black will greatly help in college admissions, but I'm always skeptical of its benefits. I AM above average, but by no means one of THE top students in my grade. My courses are as followed:</p>
<p>Honors:
-World History
-World History 2
-Biology
-Chemistry
-Geometry
-Algebra 2
-Algebra
-Precalc
AP:
-Chem
-Physics
-Environmental Science
-US Government
-AB Calc</p>
<p>I'm going to be a senior next year, and I've got a cumulative GPA of 3.98 unweighted. Kind of blows when I moved from a county where 90+ was an "A" to my current county where a 94+ is an "A".</p>
<p>I took my first SAT a few months back and didn't do too hot. I didn't have tutors or use any study books since I wanted a score to start out with. I got an 1850, which isn't HORRIBLE, but is far below par for the upper tier universities. What are my chances of getting into schools such as UVA, Duke, UNC Chapell Hill, Stanford etc? Harshness is appreciated since I would like to see where I stand in the admissions process.(By the way, I'm a Virginia Resident). Thanks for any help!</p>
<p>Hmm...your's is a tough case to judge. On the one hand, minority status is always a help, but on the other hand, it is much harder to justify giving a big hook to an applicant who lives in a household that makes more than all but a very small percentage of American households. More pressing to me are your SAT scores, which you have identified correctly--not terrible, but nothing to write home about. I think that Stanford is still a pretty big reach for you...to be frank, there will be quite a few minority applicants (nearly all of them from less privileged backgrounds) who will equal or exceed your stats. Duke is also reachy, though somewhat less so. You may get in, or be waitlisted. UVa in-state seems like a pretty good match and UNC is very competitive OOS, but as far as chances, I'm not particularly qualified to say. My advice to you would be to look at schools ranked in the teens and 20's where there won't be quite as many highly qualified minority applicants and the overall selectivity is not quite as much. Also, I think that you should look at the LAC list, which tends to be hurting a bit more for strong minority applicants. You definitely can get into some very strong schools, but minority status can only get you so far at schools that accept only 10% of their applicants...I would focus my sights just a bit lower.</p>
<p>Your scores are not impressive for someone from the kind of socioeconomic background that you have. Study and/or get tutors for the SAT and raise your score, which also will raise your chances.</p>
<p>I think places like Duke or Stanford are a reach for you with your scores. However, I do think that you are much better off than a white/asian applicant with a 1800 SAT score. I don't know where people get the idea that affirmative action is supposed to reward only those who came from disadvantaged backgrounds. Affirmative action also attempts to increase diversity in colleges and for that just your skin color is sufficient.</p>
<p>True (although various degrees of disadvantaged status is a relatively common go-with to minority status, so one without the other is not as big a hook as both together), but the bigger issue is that the OP's test scores are frankly probably only middle of the pack (or worse) compared to other minority Stanford/Duke applicants. Adding the fact that high economic status tends to correspond to higher SAT scores, and the OP's 1850 really looks only okay. The OP should definitely retake to improve SAT's, but as it is, Stanford/Duke are reaches.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of your thoughts/criticisms/suggestions. I'm well aware that my SAT scores don't represent what someone of my background should be. My goal is around a 2100 and I know that those are quite feasible with a lot of work and effort, both which have yet to be applied. I was also well aware that Duke and Stanford are quite a reach. I was asking to see HOW big of a reach they were. I will of course apply to less competitive schools because the college admissions process these days is quite mysterious. I think that UVA would be my best bet as of right now, taking into consideration that it is instate, and my dad has a great friend in the Business school there who would love to write a letter of recomendation. I'm pretty sure that Virginia tech is a backup for me since caucasian classmates of mine get into there with a transcript worse than mine.</p>
<p>Honestly, this could go either way. Apply where you would like to go - and make sure you have some "safe bets" in that application pool as well. I'm sure that you will end up at a school that you will be happy with.</p>
<p>" and my dad has a great friend in the Business school there who would love to write a letter of recomendation."</p>
<p>If that person doesn't know you well, it would be better if you submitted a recommendation from someone who does know you well such as an employer, a person whose organization you've volunteered a lot with, etc.</p>
<p>I do know her really well(great family friends since I was born). I just said that she was my dad's friend because that's who I know her through. She's practically family.</p>
<p>well i got an 1890 sat ( but 490 in math) , black male, single parent less than 40,000 with a plethora of Ec's and was told that I had basically no chance at schools in the top 20 </p>
<p>With that being said take CC advice with a grain of salt
and you got an 1850 without studying so you'll probably get 2000+ with a little more prep</p>
<p>since when is 3.98 nowhere near top of the class...freakin 3.98 out of 4, thats crazy.
and u have tons of honors and Aps
and u are a URM.
Get your scores above 2100 ur in everywhere probably.</p>
<p>hey man. i'm a fellow black man so i know where ur coming from.
we're pretty similar in everything except for our SAT scores and i think that's the biggest difference right now. i got a 2200 (750math, 730writing, 720reading). once you get up there man (or even 2100), it'll open a lot more doors for you. right now though, i think stanford and duke are SERIOUS reaches.</p>
<p>With careful prep -- either tutoring or studying on your own -- you should be able to raise your score by a couple of hundred points. Also look up the Xiggi system here on CC. Xiggi is a college student who is a longtime poster who has a wonderful way of studying for the SAT. Use the search function to find his advice.</p>
<p>If you get the kind of score that you're capable of doing, you would have a shot at any university in the country. I'm not saying that you'd definitely be accepted, but you'd have above average chances.</p>
<p>Check the college board site under the research or guidance counselor section to see the chart that shows the average scores of black students. Also Google the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education to find similar info. Your scores are very high for black students, but given your background, they can be much higher.</p>
<p>U know UVA will be a toss up. Instate status, minority status, but also a minority who can pay for all tuition fees may be a very appealing package. HOwever, if you can crack 2k on your sat 1 and have some pretty significant extra curriculars, UVa should be a very realistic school for you.</p>