<p>the stats:
-Latina from a small town in upstate NY
-ranked 4/135
-avg at the end of jr. year: 97.7/100
-all A's freshman-junior years
-SAT 2200
-ACT 34
-National Hispanic Recognition Program scholar
-National Merit Scholar (I don't know if I'm semifinalist/finalist yet)
-Rensselaer Medal
-Honor Roll every quarter of high school
-various other local academic awards
-Harvard Summer School - grade of A</p>
<p>ECs:
-I play cello: you name it I've done it. 2 or 3 orchestras at any given time, 1st chair, All-State, solos, private lessons, pit orchestra, etc..
-Varsity Swim Team
-founding member and treasurer of Science Club
-High School Bowl: will be captain next year
-volunteer at Humane Society
-work as a lifeguard</p>
<p>thats pretty much it, obviously not in detail, but what do ya'll think???</p>
<p>I'd say you've got as good a shot as any at getting in the "big schools". I'm not too familiar with the admissions at anyone from Colgate on down (not being snobby, I go somewhere that would be much further down the list I'm sure, I'm just saying I don't know much about them) but if they aren't locks you might want to pick up a safety.</p>
<p>Well your definitely in at RPI (medal winners are almost automatically accepted). I also don't know about Colby, but you've got some chance at most of the others, although Harvard is probably a reach. However a friend of mine got into Yale with stats like yours, and he wasn't a minority. I think he wrote a really good essay.</p>
<p>Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, and Yale are all reaches still. Your scores are good but not spectacular. I assume that your family isn't struggling for money (private cello lessons, Harvard summer school, etc) so the minority hook isn't as big of a deal as one might think/hope in your situation. And being from upstate New York is never good as far as geographic diversity goes.</p>
<p>If you were going to get one it would probably be Brown or Dartmouth. If.</p>
<p>If you started Science Club why aren't you its president? Just wondering. I think you will get into Colgate/Hamilton/Colby. Even if you're reach, these schools are known to be WASPY and want to diversify. This gives you an edge - but I don't know about the ivies. You have a decent chance but they're still reaches.</p>
<p>me and a few friends started it, not just me. I chose to be treasurer. </p>
<p>and to ses, what credentials do you have to judge me so harshly?? It's pretty pathetic that in order to be accepted as a minority you have to be poor. But you said your opinion, and that is what I asked for. So whatever.</p>
<p>^Many posters on this board believe that being a minority with decent stats guarantees you a place at top universities. I was simply alluding to that and pointing out that your upper middle class status versus being an academic success admit would not give you the boost that many thought it would.</p>
<p>You've got a decent shot at a lot of top schools. But so do the 20,000 other kids who apply every year.</p>
<p>I was in no way maligning your achievements.</p>
<p>Colleges that give better admission chances based solely on URM status are idioitic. All colleges should follow the UCs example: better admission chances based on hardships/economic status (which does happen to follow URMS as opposed to your average white or asian applicant).</p>
<p>The UCs don't actually do that. Their system still blocks the poorest blacks and hispanics from their top schools. Berkeley is 40% asian. More than twice the percentage of asians in California. Lame.</p>
<p>I think you guys are way off. My school sends a lot of minorities to top schools every year and all of their stats are slightly lower than hers. If you're a minority a B+ average in a tough courseload and a 2100+ is good enough for the lower ivies like Brown and Dartmouth. And for HYP, it's more like A- and 2200, which she has.</p>