<p>Hi, I am a sophomore in a private school in Washington State. I am seeking the answer for a few questions and all help is very much appreciated. Is it true that since Asians have a higher average SAT score than all other races, colleges have higher expectations/requirements for Asians (I've also heard that it is easier for African Americans to get in). By the way, I'm Asian but not a raciest. Also, do girls have a higher chance of getting into ivies since some colleges want to keep a good sex ratio to raise their rankings? I took the SATs at the end of my freshmen year and got 550 on verbal and 650 on math. I have only been learning English for three years and I have a really poor vocabulary. Is there any suggestions on how I can improve my English (or verbal) score? I am 2 years advanced in math and 1 year ahead in math (took Biology and Physics together to get ahead). That way, would colleges still mind that I my GPA is only 3.85? I am thinking about majoring in Chemistry, which SAT IIs should I take? Should I just go with the normal combination of Writing, Chemistry, and Math II or should I take Chinese (which is my native language)? Thank you so much for your time.</p>
<p>Many colleges do give a "tip" to underrepresented minorities (URMs), but that generally does not include Asians. Gender is also not really a "tip" with a few exceptions (men for formerly all-female colleges such as Vassar, Sarah Lawrence, etc, or possibly women at MIT or Caltech). At this point, more females are applying to colleges than males.</p>
<p>In other words, do not expect any "extra" consideration for being an Asian female.</p>
<p>As to the SAT, start reading the New York Times, the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, etc. Keep a dictionary nearby so you can look up words. Even though the SAT has changed, critical reading passages have not. Get a hold of past copies of the 10 Real SATs and the current Official SAT Study Guide. These have actual SAT tests you can study from. Take one or two tests "open book" - read the passages, choose your answer, and check the actual answer as you go along. Try to analyze why an answer is correct or incorrect. If you run out of sample tests, there are some people around here (check the SAT forum here) that have previously released SATs they might sell to you.</p>
<p>The good news is you have plenty of time to improve. Good luck!</p>
<p>"I took the SATs at the end of my freshmen year and got 550 on verbal and 650 on math."</p>
<p>Those were excellent scores for a freshman! Realize that your verbal was at about the average level for seniors who take the test (and most of those are native English speakers!) and the 650 was far above what most seniors get.</p>
<p>Even without extra study, you probably are headed for a v, m scores each in the 700s. Colleges are more impressed by foreign-born students who do not take SAT IIs in their native languages.</p>
<p>Some colleges mandate a certain combination of SAT IIs such as wanting science and math SAT IIs. Others leave the combination totally up to you. Check the admissions standards of various colleges that you may apply to.</p>
<p>Being from Washington State will be an advantage for many schools that are outside of the West Coast. This includes Ivies. Top colleges want regional diversity, and you could add to their diversity if you apply to colleges outside of your region.</p>
<p>Thanks fireflyscout and Northstarmom:) I feel better now... I actually thought about applying to MIT, but I know I would never get in with my current stats. Two friends of my applied this year, both with 4.0 GPA, 1580/1560 SAT combined, 3x700+ SAT IIs, and 11/9 APs, but only one of them got in. However, I've also heard that MIT is very random.</p>
<p>MIT is very tough - I believe they only accepted 14% of their applicants this year. It would seem that with MIT, the "tangible" items on your application will get you considered, but the "intangible" items will determine if you are selected.</p>