<p>Hey yall,
Im a black male and im wondering what are the best colleges you guys think i can get into?
Will being black make it eaier for me or should i transfer schools and go to place where my percent is better?
Im leaning towards ut austin and the uc`s.. do you think i can get in there, or what other great universities can i be accepted into? Major: Biology
Rank: 18th percent
, GPA: 3.8 out of 4
and i have taken many AP classes(compsci, english, env. science, human geo, psych) and i plan on taking some nxt yr too.
SAT: 2100
EC`s: Basketball freshman yr.
Track soph. yr
NHS
Academic excellence
Key Club
UNICEF
MSA (muslim student associsation) i plan on being president.
DECA(state junior year)
MD ANDERSON summer intern</p>
<br>
<p>100 volunteer hours</p>
<br>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>State of residency and cost constraints? Remember, out-of-state public schools do not generally give good financial aid, though some may have good merit scholarships (your GPA (if unweighted) and SAT score should qualify you for some automatic full tuition and full ride scholarships listed at the top of the financial aid and scholarships forum section).</p>
<p>GPA is unweighted, correct?</p>
<p>UT Austin admissions is rank-centric; 75% of its frosh class come from automatic admission of the top 7% of Texas high school graduates, so having a top 18% rank makes that school a reach.</p>
<p>First question: I understand the importance of prestige, but don’t neglect the importance of fit. You want the right school for you, not the right school for someone else or as determined by someone else. You want to maximize what the school has to offer you, and maximize yourself, and you cannot do that while you’re worried about what someone else thinks of the school.</p>
<p>Second question: unclear what you mean. Would being black make what easier for you? Transfer high schools? Your percent is better? </p>
<p>Third question set: Yes, your current stats suggest you can get into UT and any number of UCs probably. Do the research yourself: find the “middle 50” percent of each of the schools in which you’re interested and see how your SAT scores match up with their middle 50.</p>
<p>Now, my questions: in what state have you residency? what year are you? what is the CR+M+W score, the 2100 broken down? might you apply to any professional school after you graduate? most importantly, have you sat down with your parents, their 2012 tax statement, and the net price calculators from a sample of colleges and figured out what college will cost your family (your Estimated Family Contribution) and you and what your family can contribute? As you’ll hear people say on this board many many times, there’s no point talking about particular colleges if you cannot afford them. You need to know if you need to look at schools with full tuition/ride scholarships and other merit-rich schools.</p>
<p>With your current stats, just what I’m seeing here and ignoring the possibility that you might improve upon them, I’d say you probably are not a candidate for the most prestigious schools, certainly you’re not a match for any of them, but that there are a lot of great schools to which you are a match, including the schools you’ve mentioned. For instance, if we assume your 2100 breaks down 700+700+700, and UT’s middle 50 breaks down as
CR: 550-670
M: 580-710
W: 540-680
you’ll see that you’re scores are top 25% for CR and W and top of the middle 50 for M. This means that, all else being equal, you’re likely to be admitted. Do that for every school and you’ll get a ballpark idea. Nothing is guaranteed, but you’ll have an idea. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>doesn’t say much for Texas high school SAT scores, does it ucb? That stat about their freshmen class certainly puts a twist in my assessment if candidate is from TX.</p>
<p>Yup, yall, im from Texas.</p>
<p>yeah, its unweighted… and since im black can`t i get in with 18th percent? i thought they would accept me easier since im black.</p>
<p>and do you guys advise that I switch majors to education and then switch after a semester or two to biology or do all despise that?</p>
<p>regarding my second question, i was wondering that even though im 18th percent, will being black help me get in since they look at race during application process. Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Actually, it is an artifact of UT Austin admitting 75% of the class purely by top 7% rank in Texas high schools. This means that top 7% applicants at less SAT-competitive high schools get admitted. Because UT Austin is likely to be the “best” school that such students get admitted to, those students are most likely to attend.</p>
<p>In any case, being top 18% competing for the remaining 25% of the spots at UT Austin (remember that out-of-state and international applicants, as well as those from high schools that do not rank, or home schooled applicants) means that the OP’s chances at UT Austin are not high, despite the SAT score and that ethnicity is considered (but not as important as rank, test scores, essay, and several other things, according to [University</a> of Texas at Austin Admissions Information - CollegeData College Profile](<a href=“http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=788]University”>http://www.collegedata.com/cs/data/college/college_pg02_tmpl.jhtml?schoolId=788) ). The admits for the remaining 25% are likely high stat out-of-state and international applicants, and high SAT/ACT scoring Texas applicants just barely outside the top 7% (perhaps top 8-9%). Some of those spots may also be consumed by special admission for recruited athletes and the like.</p>
<p>As a Texas resident, you are likely in the auto-admit category for most or all Texas public universities other than UT Austin, which is probably a reach. I.e. those others are safeties if you can afford them. Check their web sites for auto-admit criteria.</p>
<p>If affordability is an issue on need-based financial aid (check the net price calculators on each school’s web site), then go to the financial aid and scholarships section of these forums and look at the lists of full tuition and full ride merit scholarship schools in the sticky threads at the top.</p>
<p>In general, do not assume that race or ethnicity will turn a reach into a match, or a match into a safety. People tend to exaggerate the importance of such in college admissions, but the benefit is likely smaller than what most people think, and many colleges do not consider it at all (California public schools are in this category).</p>
<p>Your high GPA and test scores will make chances of admission good at many UCs (though Berkeley and UCLA will be more difficult), but the main issue is the cost. UC financial aid will not cover the $23,000 per year additional out-of-state tuition – you can check the net price calculators to see that. I.e. they will not generally be affordable for a non-wealthy out-of-state student unless you bring in a large outside merit scholarship (the campuses themselves offer very few large merit scholarships).</p>
<p>thank you very much</p>
<p>UC’s do not practice affirmative action so it will not help you there. Are your parents prepared to pay UC prices? On top of regular tuition that would include the OOS rate of an additional $22,000 per year. They won’t give you that.</p>
<p>You can look at private schools where your URM status will be a bigger hook. What does your GC suggest?</p>
<p>State schools often do not practice Affirmative Action. they often have to use formulas that are “fair” to all students regardless of ethnicity. </p>
<p>doesn’t say much for Texas high school SAT scores, does it ucb? That</p>
<p>Many states (not just Texas) use rank or GPA as HUGE factors so that students from underprivileged areas/schools do not get shut-out of the state schools. If test scores were the big factor for admissions that state schools would then become bastions of nearly only those from the more affluent schools/districts/families.</p>
<p>Unless your parents will pay the OOS costs of a UC, you’re better off sticking with Texas state schools, privates that do want more diversity, and OOS publics that will give large merit for your stats.</p>
<p>Are you premed?</p>
<p>If so, then it would be crazy to go to a UC.</p>
<p>You could probably get into the CAP program, in which you attend another state school your freshman year, then get admitted to UT-Austin if your GPA meets the standard.</p>
<p>Right now UT is impossible for you (your color or ethnicity does not factor in. First criterion is rank, and if you’re top 8% or top 9% THEN only might race be factored in AFTER the top 7% have been admitted.)</p>
<p>However you should be auto-admit at all other publics and with that SAT score you could get good merit money at UT Dallas, for instance.</p>
<p>You can apply to Rice, Southwestern, Trinity. </p>
<p>Your being a boy and African American with a 2100 and 3.8 will help you A LOT at Midwestern &Pacific Northwest LACs; it will help some at Mid Atlantic, South, and New England LACs, and probably a little at some private universities outside the top 25.</p>
<p>UC’s will cost $50,000/year and you won’t get financial aid outside of the $5,500 in loans you’re entitled to. Ask your parents whether they have the money and are willing to spend it on UC’s. It seems like a waste of money to me, frankly, when you could have nice scholarships at many other colleges.</p>
<p>If you are lower-income, check out “100%” schools, which offer the best financial aid packages for lower-income students, meeting 100% need. However they’re all very to highly selective. You’d qualify for about half of them though, others would be definite reaches to unreachable.
[100%</a> Meet Need Colleges | CollegeGreenlight](<a href=“Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students”>Colleges with Need-Blind Admission for U.S. Students)
If you’re high income and need merit aid:
[Colleges</a> awarding the most merit aid to the most students - Washington DC College admissions | Examiner.com](<a href=“http://www.examiner.com/article/colleges-awarding-the-most-merit-aid-to-the-most-students]Colleges”>http://www.examiner.com/article/colleges-awarding-the-most-merit-aid-to-the-most-students)</p>
<p>Be aware that “meets 100% of need” schools can have very different financial aid offers and net prices, due to different calculations of “need” and different expected student contributions (what they expect you to take as direct loans or contribute from work earnings). Run the net price calculator for each school to get an idea of what its need-based financial aid and net price will look like for you.</p>
<p>Each college defines “need” in whichever way they want (both 100% need schools and non-guaranteed schools but only the 100% need schools guarantee to meet need for all admitted applicants, which make them especially good for low-income students - especially since they include travel and books in the financial aid package for EFC 0).
Even if the salary base, assets, etc, remain the same, the results can run the gamut (I saw, for the same low-income student, an expected total contribution ranging from $589 to $14,560 recently…!)
That’s why students should always always run the net price calculator on every college website, since results would be very different from one to the next.</p>
<p>@MYOS1634 so you think i have no chance at UT but you`re telling me to apply to Rice? wut…</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids so with my rank, gpa, race etc. what universities come to your mind for me? im just interested… thanks</p>