<p>I agree with most of the responses you got: you’re clearly a very talented applicant who has a lot going for him. However, I think that jayzers94 might have been a little hasty to declare “you’re in” at Pomona. It’s one of the top 10, if not 5 LACs in the country, so guaranteeing admission is completely ridiculous. It’s also more selective than Carleton, and, based on admission rates, Duke as well. You have a better shot than most (and yes, being black does help) but honestly, you’d be surprised how many brilliant students get rejected from ALL of the above colleges. If you’re looking for other safeties, have you considered Pitzer? You obviously are interested in the CCs (since you’re looking at Pomona and CMC), but Pitzer is way less competitive. Anyways, best of luck to you, and I’m sure you’ll end up somewhere that will make you happy!</p>