<p>As I have looked through many threads, I have seen many individuals say that being a URM (African American) helps in college admissions. I heard that colleges know about the acheivement gap that exists between African American student test scores, and other applicant's test scores. However, recently I was reading where someone posted that colleges know that test scores and income correlate. Say, an African American applicant that is middle/upper class, might be able to afford a great SAT class, while an African American with considerable financial need might not be so fortunate. I am an African American student with considerable financial need, in fact my EFC was $0. I was wondering if a college says that they are "need blind" (UPenn for example), how would they be able to check see that my test scores (1180) may very well correlate with my income?</p>
<p>Income has almost nothing to do with intellect. There is always th library and more. My family's EFC is also zero and i am the valedictorian in my class and have taken many APS and will have an SAT score more than 1000 points higher than yours. I am sorry but the reason they say they are need blind is because they want to take in all the "smart" people whether they can pay for their education or not.</p>
<p>The issue is they have tons of black immigrant low income applicants with SATs that DON"T correlate to their income. They need to know you can survive in the program. It would really be unfair to put a kid with a 600 math into Wharton without major prep that Wharton and Harvard don't do.</p>
<p>So many great low income URMs are identified before HS now and going to the top preps and doing really well. They're a sure bet for top colleges.</p>
<p>Okay. Thanx</p>
<p>Sorry to say, but that SAT score is just horrible. You need to definitely step up your SAT's in order to gain admissions to even average colleges. Personally, I didn't take any SAT classes. I just borrowed some SAT books and worked them out. Most of the time (especially SATs) with effort and perseverance anybody can do anything!The fact that affirmative action exists is a truly appalling and discriminating problem in many colleges. It ticks me off to think that people have to be sorted into a racial category in a age where all people are supposed to be treated equally. Then, afterwards they must fight other people with the same race for a spot rather than compete for admission as a whole. (Thank goodness CA banned such a practice!) Why must we give up the spot of a qualified student just because of his racial identity and give it to a student who doesn't deserve it, just for the sake of diversity? This is a spit in the face to social justice! Race, simply, should not matter when gaining entrance! Colleges really need to look for qualified people rather than a diverse group because in reality the purpose of college is for learning and reasoning rather than making a melting pot.</p>
<p>Honestly, who are you or anyone of us to judge who "deserves" to get into a specific college. Personally, I put forth my maximum efforts in school, and this is reflected in me being in the top 1% of my class. I, for one do not have the finances to take Kaplan, Princeton, and any other SAT prep courses. I have affluent friends who started off with low SATs, and then paid to take a class that bumped their scores up 300 points. I think that money does play a big role. If I can't afford the opportunity, why should I be penalized for it?</p>
<p>that wasnt quite what i was saying and affirmative action shouldnt be debated in random threads, for 1 thing, money doesnt necessarily just mean they took courses bc courses will only get u to an average score bc they are made for flatly, people who need them and so 300 point increases are possible at lower levels, obviously from 2150, there are no 300 point increases, income is the HIGHEST PREDICTOR, meaning using regression or some other similar technique the correlation value is highest, but its still only 30-40% in most current surveys, income is the highest correlation bc obviously, much of intelligence is genetic and much of academic performance is based on the environment u came from, when ur rank is very high and ur scores r low, it does not bode well for u but since admissions r a crapshoot and ive seen more random cases this year than in any other year, dont let any1 dissuade u from applying.</p>
<p>You can not buy your SAT scores. SAT courses, books, for example do not necessarily boost your SAT score because the questions you get on the SAT are things you can not necessarily prepare for ahead of time. Also, realistically speaking your Sat score won't be much even with the so called 300 point boost that your rich friends got. know plenty of intelligent poor people and students who do stellar in their school and SAT's! Stop trying to use your low income status and race rather than ability and qualification to get into a college. Just think about the other kids who show that they are qualified but get rejected due to affirmative action and America is the "land of opportunity" at least more so than any other country. Stop getting angry at others for being better than you and just put more effort into it.</p>
<p>Of course you can buy SAT scores.</p>
<p>"Stop trying to use your low income status and race rather than ability and qualification to get into a college."</p>
<p>First jason you seem really arrogant and insensitive. I am not by any means trying to use race and low income to get me into college. I am a great student without either of these. I just wanted to know how would it weigh in. I was not fortunate enough to be raised around parents who had college degrees. I was not fortunate enough to go to an elementary school that taught me the proper grammer/math skills needed to provide a future foundation for success. However, I have managed to triumph past that and succeed now.</p>
<p>smart, there are pleanty of great colleges that would love to have you. What are your match and safety schools?</p>
<p>UPenn
BU
NYU
Lehigh---Accepted
Carnegie Mellon
University of Miami--Accepted
Florida International University--Accepted</p>
<p>Not sure how the match/safety thing goes but these are the ones i applied to.</p>
<p>oooh....and USF---Accepted
Penn is top then University of Miami</p>
<p>Did you apply to Stern at NYU? If not, Penn is the only big reach. NYU, however, is really bad with aid so hope Miami made you a good offer.</p>
<p>haha race always gets a few angry customers, and jasonlee, u can definately improve ur sat scores with money to buy books and take practice tests, the idea that its unpreparable is a myth, simply tougher to prepare for, u must be a nube, kids on these boards go from 1950 to 2350 in one testing over a 6 month period. do u think they got 400 points more intelligent in 6 months?</p>
<p>Yes I applied to stern so I guess I have 2 reachs then</p>
<p>For URMs reading for next year, it's important to understand where you will get s boost. Schools where your SATs are 100-200 pts. below average are most realistic as reaches, and schools that get fewer apps from URM (LACs in MW for example) are going to bend the most.</p>
<p>They are least likely to bend for rigorous programs like joint med school, high quant business and engineering. Things where you need a strong skill set from day 1. </p>
<p>Smart would have been a great applicant at Carleton or Grinnell. Schools like Bowdoin and Middlebury would have been likely with no SATs needed and his val status.</p>
<p>too bad i can't apply anywhere else. I guess i just have to play the waiting game.</p>
<p>There are always gap years.....</p>
<p>I agree. The SAT is ENTIRELY COACHABLE. If I'm not mistaken, the Princeton Review bases their prep program off that assertion...</p>