<p>Low-income (financial aid is important)
Gender: Male
State: MI
Race: African-American
School: 'Under-served' (popular term here) public (sends no one to top schools)
GPA: 3.8uw (upward trend, straight A's after freshman year, story to it)
ACT: 28 (re-testing, expecting 30+)
Rank: Top 5%
No APs or Honors offered
Essays: Good - Great
Recommendations: Good</p>
<p>ECs -- In school
Community Service (Sophomore, Junior)
Robotics Electronics Team Leader and Mascot (Senior)
National Honors Society (chapter found senior year) (Senior)
Art Club (Founder, cut due to funding) (Sophomore)
Summer Job (Freshman, Sophomore)
Non-Profit Work (Sophomore, Junior, Senior)
Strengthening-Condition (Freshman)
Stage Hand for Theater Productions (Senior)
Youth Program (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior)
Selling Artwork ( Sophomore, Junior, -- Not sure if I should put this, as I can't prove it)</p>
<p>ECs -- after graduation
Robotics Team Mentor and Mascot (being a mascot is awesome)
Non-Profit Work
Part-time Job (looking for another)
Volunteer at local Academy (Helping with an Art Class, possibly starting a chess club)
Selling Artwork(?)</p>
<p>Hooks: I supplemented my formal education by taking advantage of my local library's resources. Racial, socioeconomic, and geographic (and probably intellectual) diversity. (?) </p>
<p>Yale
Brown
UPenn
Amherst
Northwestern
Vanderbilt -- Peabody
UMich -- LSA, Residential College
MSU -- Honors College (with a higher ACT)
Rhodes College
Calvin College</p>
<p>Please chance me at all my schools, with and without my improved score if possible. And feel free to suggest others schools! Thanks!</p>
<p>I don't know about the first four schools. What's the story behind your freshman year upward trend?
I don't think you have a chance at yale, brown, upenn, amherst, vanderbilt, or northwestern. I don't know about the other schools, except Michigan, which i think you may have an okay chance at if you apply early decision.
Also make sure you emphasize in your essay about how your school lacked many resources which were necessary for your growth and development and that you took the time to go to your library and study on your own, if what you said is true.</p>
<p>Basically, ask yourself these two questions.</p>
<p>Why would top colleges want you? Why do you believe that you deserve to attend and belong at a top college?</p>
<p>Top college, as in your reach schools (the first 4-5 on your list).</p>
<p>This is not meant to be accusing or offending. I simply want to make sure that you know your own motivations.</p>
<p>I had a grand epiphany near the end of my freshman year. </p>
<p>Some of the first four I plan to apply to have taken risks on low-income black males before, and with great results: Ben Carson (Yale), Anthony Jack (Amherst), and Cedric Jennings (Brown). They view applicants holistically, looking at a student's application in the context of their educational and extracurricular opportunities.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Basically, ask yourself these two questions.</p>
<p>Why would top colleges want you? Why do you believe that you deserve to attend and belong at a top college?</p>
<p>Top college, as in your reach schools (the first 4-5 on your list).</p>
<p>This is not meant to be accusing or offending. I simply want to make sure that you know your own motivations.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Chances are I want to go to Yale for the same reasons that you do.</p>
<p>Bumpity bump bump!</p>
<p>**And I'm still curious as to why I need motivations for Yale, but none for MSU.</p>