Chance me for HYPSD, PLEASE! :) & Help with SCEA!

Applying to College
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<p>OK. My last thread got no responses because it was the length of the bible, so here's the nitty gritty.</p>

<p>I'm hispanic, but count as international, so not a URM. Is this still a hook? (from El Salvador) and want to be a CLASSICS major! I believe I am first generation. (my mom went to college for a VERY short time, no degree in ES). Income is around 72000</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0 UW (nothing less than an A), 4.391 W after 11th.</p>

<p>Classes: five years of latin, 10 PreAP/Honors (every possible one), 10 AP's, school does not allow AP's in 9th and only one in 10th grade</p>

<p>12th course load: AP Vergil, AP Lit, AP Combined US/Comp gov, AP Calc BC, AP Env Sci, AP Euro, Journalism 4</p>

<p>EC: LatinClub/HonorSociety- Consul of former, president of latter certamen- latin quiz bowl team with various top 5 state victories, newspaper- editor in chief, Taught Attic greek- to latin classmates, prepared them for national test, TaeKwonDo- Brown belt, many local tournament awards and in-house student of month/attitude awards</p>

<p>SAT I: 2290= 780 CR/710 M/800 W (2nd sitting, will retake once more to nail math)
SAT II: Latin- 800 (750 1st time), USH- 800, World- 780, Lit-750 (not worth retaking?)</p>

<p>Awards: Buttload of latin awards, tae kwon do awards, see old thread for details.</p>

<p>Essay(s): Coming to terms with my identity as a hispanic-american, finding spirituality as a gay teen, how my usage of circumlocution shows my detailed personality, etc.</p>

<p>Recs: Latin and lang teacher, will have specifics. Counselor will be generic, but put things in context of school. (which doesn't rank). Peer rec for Dartmouth will be very good, not necessarily eloquent.</p>

<p>Community service: taught greek, part of minority student panel helping parents motivate students, will do double digit hours in august and beyond at hispanic neighborhood resource center.</p>

<p>Please chance! Where should I apply SCEA? Harvard is 1st choice but not sure of competitiveness. Dartmouth has a very accepting atmosphere but only ED. I need to familiarize myself more with Yale. I'm leaning toward Princeton.
Also please suggest financial safeties and matches for international!</p>

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<p>GPA, rank, possibly essay are all good. Maybe ECs too, but I’m always a fail judge when it comes to ECs. I personally think that your SATs are fine because after 2200+ there really is no difference. Maybe. And yeah, don’t retake your Lit SAT. Not worth it. It’d just be giving CollegeBoard more money.</p>

<p>And…that’s about all I can really say.</p>

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<p>Apply Harvard SCEA. Princeton/Yale SCEA are not any easier and Dartmouth ED is harder. Applying early action or restrictive early action is simply advantageous in the sense that you will get an earlier decision from your first choice… so use that wisely.</p>

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<p>Hmm. But shortly after EA apps are due, I will be attending a latin convention where, based on past results, I should win many awards. I may also obtain my black belt shortly after apps are due. Can I update my app/resume after I’ve already submitted it? (say in like, late november?) </p>

<p>Thanks for your replies!
Also, does anyone know if my being hispanic and from a not-usually-competitive country (El Salvador) will aid me in admissions despite my not being a URM, technically. (because I am not a citizen/resident)</p>

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<p>Please help! :)</p>

<p>Sent from my LG-P509 using CC App</p>

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<p>Yoooo</p>

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<p>

Yes.</p>

<p>10char</p>

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<p>Dartmouth ED is substantially easier.</p>

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<p>Yeah, but I don’t want to commit to a school that I won’t be able to visit by then. Does anyone know if minority status is a hook regardless of citizenship? Maybe it’s an advantage to be Salvadoran. I checked Harvard’s list of students by country by googling it and only about three Salvadorans are enrolled in all of its schools/colleges. Thanks for the responses!</p>

<p>Edit: LOL, who rated this thread a two? Sorry I can’t be entertaining enough for you, haha.</p>

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<p>Internationals can also be URMs, so yes, being Hispanic helps.</p>

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<p>But a few days ago, I was explicitly told that only domestic applicants are URM on this forum by a senior member. </p>

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<p>Your chances look pretty good, especially considering your from El Salvador.
Your CR and Lit scores are very impressive for an international.</p>

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<p>Have you visited Dartmouth? It has a very different campus culture from, say, Harvard or Yale, and you sound much more cosmopolitan to me. If you think you’d be happier in snow-bound New Hampshire, then good luck (I think you have an excellent shot). Otherwise, I’d recommend Harvard Early Decision, then apply to urban Ivies like Columbia & Penn, U Chicago, Johns Hopkins, and select some back-ups with strong, dynamic, curricula and departments (e.g. classics,et al). BU, NYU, Temple, Fordham, DePaul, Tulane, etc. might all be interesting choices.</p>

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<p>If you are seeking a more traditional campus atmosphere, consider Amherst, Williams, Wesleyan, Haverford, Swarthmore, Oberlin, and Kenyon. They need more diversity, and your background sounds intriguing. I can’t believe you won’t be able to go almost anyplace you’d like, so explore all your options.</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>Intl applicants are not considered URMs. While they may be looked upon favorably in adding diversity to some schools, they are not considered Hispanic in the same way that US citizens and residents are for college admissions.</p>

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</p>

<p>As an Intl. applicant who needs FA?!?</p>

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<p>Thanks for the replies! Shaggy, my scores are high because I’ve lived in the us since age five. I never thought I would consider a more rural school but the idea of Dartmouth intrigues me. I do like the city more but despite being semisheltered, I’ve always wanted to try the parting scene but I realize I have no idea of gauging whether it’s for me. I also am intrigued by the possibility of being able to do Greek life as a gay guy. Again I have no idea if that’s for me. While I love Boston and cambridge, the possibility of being able to fit in as “one of the guys” rather than being relegated to an lgbt niche group with which, since I’ve been closeted my whole life, I don’t feel I identify with is a breath of fresh air I’ve found nowhere else. It’s a weird dilemma, but one which will be undoubtedly made more facile if/when at least one of these schools rejects me.</p>

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<p>But more bluntly, should I apply Harvard or Princeton EA? Princeton I get the feeling is more helpful to Hispanics is general and has a higher acceptance rate. It would take a LOT of pressure off if I had an acceptance in the bag and i may have better chances with the big P. Am I “hooked” enough to be competitive in SCEA especially against recruits and “real” urm’s?</p>

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<p>We’re in the same boat Interficio, I was debating whether to apply to dartmouth ed or yale ea (as a closeted gay like yourself). I think you should just apply to harvard ea if that is truly your first choice. If P’s admissions are only a few percent easier, it won’t be noticably different for you.</p>

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<p>Harvard DOES NOT have early decision/action/anything! They abolished it a few years ago</p>

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<p>[Princeton</a> and Harvard Reinstate Early Admissions - NYTimes.com](<a href=“http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/princeton-and-harvard-reinstate-early-admissions/]Princeton”>Princeton and Harvard Reinstate Early Admissions - The New York Times)</p>