Admissions Journey for Average URM

Applying to College Admission Stories
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Hiya! I’m starting this because someone suggested I do one a few days ago (apparently mine would be interesting; I beg to differ, but we shall see). I guess I’ll start with my digits:

**GPA: ** 3.86/4.0 UW 102.4/100 W
**Class Rank: ** 12/867 (new ranks came out Friday but I haven’t checked yet, so this might be different)
**SAT: ** 700CR, 680M, 670W (2050)
**ACT: ** 31E, 32M, 33R, 25S
**SAT Subject Tests: /b Math 2 (630), Math 1 (680), Physics (640) [taking Math 2 and Physics again this weekend]
**AP Exams: ** Spanish Language and Culture (5), Spanish Literature and Culture (4), English Language and Composition (4), World History (3), U.S. History (3), AP Physics 1 (2…yay)
**Awards: ** National Hispanic Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, QuestBridge College Prep Scholar (?), two National Spanish Exam awards, 4th place Extemporaneous Writing in area competition for HOSA, Academic Excellence in AP Physics (I was the female recipient for the 2014-2015 school year. It’s an award given to the best male and female student enrolled in each class, as determined by the teacher based on class performance and other factors. Two (one male, one female) are given for AP U.S. History, two are given for AP Physics, etc.)
**Senior Courseload: **

  1. AP Calculus BC
  2. AP Government (Sem 1)/Aide for College Counselor (Sem 2…there’s a story behind this)
  3. AP Statistics (Sem 1)/AP Macroeconomics
  4. AP Physics 2
  5. AP Chemistry
  6. AP English Literature and Composition
  7. AP Biology
  8. Computer Maintenance
    **ECs: **
    *Health Occupations Students of America (10-11)
    *National Honor Society (12)
    *Spanish Club (10-member, 11-treasurer, 12-president)
    *Student Council (11-member, 12-Senior Class Treasurer)
    *Unpaid babysitter for my neighbor’s 1st grader (11-12, 10 hours/week). Due to certain circumstances, she has to work under a low salary and I volunteered to babysit so she could work.
    *Team America Rocketry Challenge–member and creator of the first ever team at my school. Whoop!

**Colleges I applied to: **

Safety:
*Texas A&M University ($14K scholarship for National Hispanic Scholar)

Reach (yeah, I know, before y’all judge):
*Columbia University
*Cornell University
*Dartmouth College
*Harvard University
*Massachusetts Institute of Technology
*University of Notre Dame
*Yale University

**Background of the person behind the screen: **
*Hispanic
*Female
*Large public school (4,300 students–93% minority, 66% economically disadvantaged. Not exactly a school known for academic excellence. But, hey, if you want a riot, you can come watch.)
*Random Suburb, TX
*Major: Physics :smiley:

Okay. Now that that’s all out of the way, I shall begin with the summary of my high school story until now.

Freshman year:

This was probably the roughest year academically for me, and not because of the courseload (…I only took 2 honors courses and one AP course), but because of the circumstances surrounding it. Now, I’m not making excuses for myself–I know my failures were largely my fault, as I’ve seen people come out of worse situations. This year allowed me to grow, as both a student and person.

I was in regular English and world geography as the fire department made a huge deal about overcrowding classrooms, so there wasn’t room in those honors classes for me, as I’d enrolled two days late. I was in honors biology and honors geometry. I did really well in geometry, but biology was quite dreadful (I ended up with a B average first semester). I also took AP Spanish Language (I was tested in 8th grade and stuck in there freshman year and didn’t really know what happened for a few weeks. Spanish wasn’t my first language–I only spoke it at home from first grade until my brother could talk, when I was in third grade. I have no clue how I guessed correctly enough times to be placed in AP Spanish as a freshman. I made a B both semesters.)

That year, our economic situation wasn’t exactly favorable; we lived in the back room of my grandmother’s house (six people, one tiny room with no air conditioning in Texas). My teachers assigned required readings and told us to buy our own copies, but my father couldn’t afford to buy them, so I just didn’t read unless I found a friend who finished reading his/her book early. Anywho, that’s not that important. I made As and Bs even though I’d never been a B student before. I got a boyfriend that made me feel awful about doing better than him in school. Long story short, I let my grades drop the second half of the first semester. Freshman year was not the best.

Sophomore year:

I don’t remember much of sophomore year. I do remember I took AP World History and AP Spanish Literature. I also did end up in honors English II, Algebra II, and chemistry. I made 2 or 3 Bs (semester grades). It was more bearable than freshman year, I suppose. Except I was in health science. I didn’t like it. I only did it because my parents convinced me I would never be successful if I didn’t go into medicine. It made sense–there was no way I could pay off student loan debt without making a ton of money (…the only jobs I knew were in medicine, law (lawyer, which I didn’t think lawyers made much money), and minimum wage jobs. Yes, I was naive). In the end I decided I wasn’t going to college if becoming a doctor was my only choice.

Junior year:

3 APs. 1 honors. 2 dual enrollment. 1 elective (to fulfill my fine arts requirement). This was my most fun year in terms of academics. I loved my teachers and classes (except health science). I was talked into taking the PSAT. I apparently did well enough to become a National Hispanic Scholar. I decided that even if I wanted to go to college, I couldn’t go because I couldn’t afford it (I wasn’t aware financial aid existed and thought only upper class people went to college unless one went to become a doctor). I met my college counselor. He sent invitations to the top 10% to attend a Texas A&M University event. I went to the event and fell in love with the school, but felt discouraged I didn’t have $24K/year to pay for it. Throughout the next months, I would discover, through my college counselor, that financial aid and scholarships exist. I had a group of friends (my AP friends–they seemed to keep appearing in my AP classes) and they helped me through a lot–looking through options for colleges and telling me I was capable of doing great things. They were the ones who convinced me to tell my parents I was going to college, and not for medicine, but for my newfound love of physics. A lot changed for me junior year.

Senior year:

I signed up for a ton of AP classes and regretted it after the first time after a Spanish Club meeting where I passed out in the hallway. I wasn’t taking care of myself. I was drinking 8-9 cups of coffee/day on a good day to stay awake. I signed up for the SAT. I did well enough to be in the 99th percentile of my school in all sections–it’s not a bad score and it’s not a great score. My college counselor told me to sign up for the ACT. I did awful on the science section, and when I got the results, it was too late as MIT already had the scores and I’d already submitted my application.

(continued on next post, lol)

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I signed up for the Subject Tests as MIT required them. I took Math 1, Math 2, and Physics. I had no clue I wasn’t adequately prepared for physics as I’d only taken AP Physics 1. I didn’t know I wasn’t adequately prepared for Math 2. I hadn’t learned a lot of the stuff on there. I proceeded to do pretty bad, compared to the rest of the MIT applicant pool. I did everything that would guarantee my rejection from MIT. I was also making Bs in AP Statistics, further convincing me I wasn’t cut out for MIT. Every single one of my scores called for a rejection. In the middle of this, I got my acceptance to Texas A&M University, and the letter informing me I’d get $14K for being a National Hispanic Scholar. I was ready to give up on MIT, take the rejection EA, move on, and go to Texas A&M.

December 16th, 2015, I was deferred. Now, it’s not an acceptance. I was told I should feel bad about it. I don’t. I’m excited, even. I was given another chance. Second chances don’t come often. This second chance told me to not give up yet, so applied to the other six colleges on my list. I know I’ll likely not get into any of my reaches, but I’ll at least know I tried and don’t regret much in my choices.

Second semester came around, and I’d already made the decision to drop AP Statistics (yes, I informed the colleges I applied to of this–I informed MIT of this before they reviewed applications for EA). AP Government and AP Macroeconomics are both one semester classes which are meant to be taken the same class period, but the counselors messed up in creating classes this year. AP Government was 2nd period and AP Macroeconomics was 3rd. I had AP Statistics 3rd. So, I had to choose between taking a graduation requirement as AP or regular, or just dropping stats.

I already had another math (AP Calculus BC, in which I was holding out at a 100% for the marking period) and government and economics are graduation requirements. Statistics was also a major source of stress for me. I wasn’t doing well with the method of teaching in the class and I loathed it. I dropped statistics. There were no other classes that I had fulfilled prerequisites for or that I enjoyed and were available to seniors for 2nd period. My college counselor and I were talking and it came up in the conversation and he told me I could be his aide. So, I agreed.

(…still continued on next post…I wrote a lot)

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Every 2nd period, I go in there and do anything he asks me to do, and when someone comes in with questions about college admissions, SAT/ACT/AP, course selection, or college applications that he cannot answer, I answer those questions. I help kids fill out applications and I help them navigate the SAT/ACT sites. I like doing this because there was someone there to help me when I had questions, and I feel like it’s the least I can do–help others in the college admissions process. Yes, being an aide looks horrid on my application. I am aware. I was faced with either that or taking an off block–so, I’d have no first period and would have to take calculus second period. I didn’t want to do that.

Just some things:

Yes, I screwed up multiple times. No, I am not impressive. Yes, I am occasionally proud of myself for things like being National Hispanic Scholar when I didn’t even think I’d be going to college at the time I took the test. I’m proud to be in the top 1% of SAT scores in my school and to have made above a 2000, something that’s seen as rare where I’m from. My parents and I don’t have a good relationship, and I certainly wish we did, but I don’t regret telling them I wasn’t going to be pursuing medicine. Despite the fact that they won’t be helping me throughout college financially and otherwise (not like they could contribute more than 2K even if they wanted to, anyway), I’ll find my own way.

I love where I come from–it’s an entirely humbling experience. I love my school despite the riots, fights, and nonsense. My AP classes have pushed me to become a lot more aware of the world around me and have stimulated my desire to keep learning and kept me challenged academically, something I discovered regular classes couldn’t do. My teachers have never stopped telling me I wasn’t doing my best when they knew I could do better. The college spam mail opened my eyes once I actually started reading it. College spam is how I fell in love with MIT (even though MIT only ever sent four or five things, maybe less)–I remember that blue book with blog posts I found in the summer between junior and senior year under my bed and how it led me to following the MIT Admissions blog posts and eventually led me to applying EA. My college counselor, someone I only saw as a source of SAT/ACT fee waivers before, became an imperative part of my senior year. I’ve spent every day in there and have become more determined than ever to go to college and pursue post-graduate studies. I want to become a researcher.

I’ll keep you all updated. I probably won’t have much to post unless I get a scholarship or do my interviews until March.

(Now I’m done, lol.)

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hello @xoxdreamerxox: congratulations on the well-written posts. I look forward to your updates.
Which colleges did you end up applying to?
Since you’re definitely top 8% at your school, did you apply to UT? Or UT-D mcDermott? (I realize you may hearing about this last one for the first time. Don’t worry. Just asking.)

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@MYOS1634 I have a deep hatred towards UT. Sorry. :stuck_out_tongue: My Texas school is definitely TAMU. I fell in love with it through the summer visit my college counselor encouraged me to apply for.

The schools I applied to (and won’t be applying to more, as I’ve run out of money for score reports):

Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Notre Dame
Texas A&M University
Yale University

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This deeply entrenched opposition between TAMU and UT is baffling for people outside of Texas.
Anyway… you do have UT Dallas and mcDermott, although I’m afraid the deadline’s passed.
Since you’re lower-income, you should be eligible for free reports, right? Ask your guidance counselor ASAP.
Lots of good schools still accept applications, including WPI, RPI, Rose-Hulman (if you’re interested in engineering), or Dickinson (if you’re interested in computer science, premed, social science, or study abroad.)
I hope one of the ‘super aid’ colleges will admit you and that you’ll have even less to pay there than for TAMU, which would be a double-whammy, right? :slight_smile:
Those colleges are super selective though, they reject 90% qualified applicants, are you ready for the possible onslaught of rejections? Can you steel yourself for it?

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@MYOS1634 Yes. I’m ready. I’m aware of the large possibility seven out of my eight schools will reject me. It’d make me default to Texas A&M. Which, I don’t mind getting into debt for. The only college I’m willing to go into about $80K of debt for would be TAMU, and the only way I’d reconsider going to TAMU would be if I were admitted at any of my other schools.

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The problem is that you CANNOT go into debt for that much. Since the financial crisis, loan conditions have tightened. So, as a freshman, you’re eligible for $5,500. That’s it. (AND 27K over 4 years, because with interest that’s 31K already and that’s what a college graduate can safely repay within 10 years. You’ll be in your early 30s by the time you’re done with that and you’ll then be able to buy a house and start your family in earnest… Imagine what would happen if you had, say, 54K?)
If TAMU is unaffordable, then you’re stuck… with all your hard work, it’d be really sad.
See you guidance counselor for score report fee waivers.
You could still apply to a few colleges - the ones below are all good and if it’s one of those or community college, you’ll have a good backup with them. As far as I know their deadlines haven’t passed yet and they’re all good schools. Run the Net Price Calculator and apply to 3-4 that have the lowest net price for you.
(If TAMU comes through for you, not just scholarship+admission which you already have, but sufficient financial aid, then, no worry, you’re taken care of! But imagine if none of the top schools admit you… and TAMU turns out to be unaffordable? You need a back-up “just in case”.)
Possibilities:
Dickinson, Beloit, Muhlenberg, Hobart&William Smith, Gustavus Adolphus, Drake, St Lawrence, Lawrence-Appleton, Ohio Wesleyan, St Michael’s, Hendrix.

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@MYOS1634 Sorry, I think my exaggerated number didn’t come across as such. My COA would end up working out to be $22K, with the fairly cheap dorm I chose and including the personal expenses they tend to overshoot.

$22K-$3500=$18500 (which, I suppose in loans is more than $80K, but that’s still without any other form of aid.)

Anyway, I’m working it out. Once financial aid packages come out, I’ll know what I’ll have to do. I’ll probably end up working a lot this summer to get to the point where the max loan is enough to cover the rest. I’m really hoping to get into honors, as that is $2500 a year. I’ll know in late March/early April about my need-based aid and I’m working with my regional admissions rep to try to maximize my grant money. I’m not willing to give up on TAMU. Yes, I’m being stubborn, but I strongly believe I’ll be able to gather at least enough to take out the max loan amount.

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The tamu corp of cadets program might help.

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Updates:

I’m no longer a Teacher Aide for the college counselor–he left. The lack of college/scholarship applications help has been rough to transition into, but it’s okay.

I’ve finished all my financial aid applications and submitted my February Updates and Notes Form for MIT, which mostly consisted of jokes for the adcomms–they deserve a laugh. Now all that’s left to do is wait. MIT decisions come out March 14th and the rest come out later on in the month of March.

I got a likely letter from Notre Dame! It turns out I won’t be likely to be rejected from all colleges besides Texas A&M.

That is all I have for now. Thanks to all that have read and replied!

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@xoxdreamerxox Congrats!

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@rdeng2614 Thanks!

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My concern for you is that your stats will hurt you if you were to get into these STEM-based schools.

How?

You have to compete for grades in classes with students who got perfect math scores the first time around. You will have to work to keep up with some of these admitted students who have natural abilities in all of their subjects.

Did you apply to any safeties that will give you decent financial aid? It does cost money to fly out to some of your schools and it adds up, and, it may not be covered by your funding sources.

As a Mex-American parent with 2 kids in college and one grad student, the competition for scholarships, that are based on ethnicity, aren’t the best in the world. Did you look at the NPCs for each of your schools so that you know what the bills will be?

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@“aunt bea” :slight_smile: I understand it’ll be a bit difficult for me, as my math scores aren’t perfect.

My NPCs all come out to $5-9K out of pocket. Through local scholarships, I can cover $3K. My EFC will go down next year as my sister will be entering college for the 2017-18 school year, so I won’t have much to take out in loans.

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@XoXdreamerXoX Did you get any scholarships from A&M yet?

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@lessonwitch2 No. I was selected for verification so no awards would show up on my portal until they processed everything and then Howdy has been down, so I haven’t checked. I just have the $14,000 for being National Hispanic Scholar, as far as I know. A&M tends to be pretty bad about need-based aid, so I’m really hoping I’m not one of those whose need-based financial aid package includes only loans.

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MITreject2K16

But, I’m completely okay with it–I’d been expecting a rejection since EA.

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Update:

Texas A&M FA package was $20,000 in loans, $2,500 in grant, and $5,500 in scholarships.

Final decisions:

Admitted: Texas A&M, Notre Dame
Waitlisted: Columbia
Rejected: Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale

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How much will Notre Dame cost? It’s a TERRIFIC choice and they’re generally good with need-based aid.
$20,000 in loans is crazy. The total recommended amount over 4 years is $27,000 because that’s how much a typical college graduate can pay back in ten years. You’d blow through almost all of it in just one year… It’s just not doable. :frowning: