Chances for an AA female at top schools? Be honest, I can take it!

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hey! I'm just looking to quell the College anxiety for a bit, haha.
Thanks in Advance!
On with the show: </p>

<p>State: South Carolina
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: African American
Gender: Female
Looking to Major in Either Physics or English</p>

<p>Lists of Schools: </p>

<p>Vanderbilt University
Johns Hopkins University
NYU
Oberlin College
Barnard College
UPenn
Rice University
Tufts University
UVA
UC-Berkley
UCLA
University of Southern California
Bowdoin College
Amherst College
Columbia University
Yale University
Howard University
Boston University
Duke University
Brown University</p>

<p>GPA:
W: 4.61
UW: 3.86
(I had a rough Sophomore Year Because of a string of Family emergencies that really affected me)
By Year:
9th: 3.934
10th:3.666
11:4.00</p>

<p>SAT I (by section):
CR: 750
M: 700
W: 680</p>

<p>SAT IIs:
Bio: 720
USH:700
ACT: 31</p>

<p>APs:
AP Chemistry: 4
AP World History: 5
I have yet to receive my AP Scores for Bio, Lang&Comp, and USH
But I'll be taking AP Eng IV, AP Physics, AP Modern Euro, and BC Calc Next year.</p>

<p>Rank: My School is Private, and it doesn't rank. </p>

<p>[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
Extra Curriculars:
-Debate Team(Captain Next Year) -9th/10th/11th/12th
-Mock Trial-9th
-Quiz Bowl- 9th/10th/11th/12th
-National Honor Society- 11th/12th
-Grits(School Newspaper)-10th/Disbanded and merged with the Literary Magazine
-WATCH literary magazine- 9th,10th/Disbanded and merged with the Grits School Newspaper
-WATCH- Web Magazine and Literary Journal- 11th,(Editor Next Year) 12th
-Human Secularist Club-10th
-Great Books Book Club-9th/10th/11th/12th
-2010 Musical(Grease)-10th
-2012 Musical(Sweeney Todd)-11th<br>
-(Co-President) Sci-fi/Fantasy Club-10th/11th/12th
-Porter Gaud Vestry(Oldest Group in my Schools History) - 9th/10th/11th/12th
-YIG(Youth in Government)-10th/11th/12th
-Young Democrats-9th/10th
-French Club-10th/11th/12th
-National French Honor Society -10th/11th/12th
-Porter Gaud Summer Reading Committee (We pick the summer reading novels for the entire school)-9th/10th/11th/12th
-Porter Gaud Teacher-Student Cook Club(Creator/President)- 11th, 12th
-Science Club-9th/ President in: 11th/12th
-Service Leader Program -11th/12th (Leader of "Paint it Palmetto" or a YMCA program to help urban youth in the arts/academics.(Over 50 hours))</p>

<p>Awards:
-1st place Local School Public Forum Debate 2008
-1st Place School Poetry/Short Fiction Contest 2010
-2nd Place Local School Public Forum Debate 2009
-NAACP Exhibition of Student Excellence Award 2009
-National French Honor Society
-2nd place Poetry Out Loud 2009/2010(School Wide)
-1st Place Poetry Out Loud 2011
-Honor Roll 2009/2010/2011/2112
-NHS-11th/12th
-Cum Laude Society- 11th</p>

<p>Service Projects:
-Bishop Gadsden-9th/10th/11th/12th (Old Folks Home)
-Paint it Palmetto-10th/11th/12th(Explained Above)
And the Typical:
-Hospital Volunteer work- 11th/12th
Overall: Over 200 hours</p>

<p>Job/Work Experience:
Over My Junior Year, and preceding summer I did Research In the NeuroScience/Optometry Unit of a Local Hospital. I am now in the process of being published. (Over 100 hours)</p>

<p>Hook: Here is where I have a question, I was once a Jeopardy Contestant... but it was Kids Jeopardy... Should I mention that on my Applications or no? Also, URM(Except for Howard), Research</p>

2

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<p>If you feel that it was an important experience for you, then why not? But in general, it doesn’t sound like something you absolutely should include.</p>

<p>Although it’s not the best GPA ever in the history of top school admissions, yours certainly isn’t going to cause the admissions committee to throw your application away, especially since you have a valid reason for the dip in your grades sophomore year.
It seems as if you have a lot of ECs – and you do show dedication and commitment in most of them – but they seem scattered at times. Are you planning to list all of them on your apps?
Overall, fairly good chances at the top schools, as being a URM will help you, your objective stats are fine, and your ECs are solid.</p>

3

<p>Stats are decent enough to let affirmative action do the rest. You’re most likely in to all the schools you listed but the Ivies.</p>

4

<p>Being an African American is very very advantageous for you.
I would also recommend MIT if you consider major in Physics. MIT loves African American future physicists(especially females). also as many Ivies as you can. in the first place, your stats are not bad among Ivies applicants. in the second place, as mentioned before, African American female. A Huge advantage. Besides, it doesn’t hurt you much to try Harvard&Princeton&Cornell. :)</p>

<p>About hooks: mention everything you think that could help in the application process. </p>

<p>However, judging by your ECs, I think you are well-rounded but I don’t see any interest in physics.</p>

5

<p>■■■■■? well I don’t see it. Though it’s kind of strange that she wants to major in Physics but almost has no physics related ECs.</p>

6

<p>It looks like I misread the stats that you listed. Despite how your race will play a big part in you getting accepted into some of the schools you listed, your test scores are simply not high enough for MIT, Amherst, Brown, Duke, etc. There will be other black kids that are academically superior to you, unfortunately.</p>

7

<p>Thanks!
…
Well, except for the person who said I was a ■■■■■… which I am <em>not</em>.
Anyway, I never really thought about going to MIT before, but maybe.
I didn’t think my SAT/ACT/SATII scores were really that bad! I think they are pretty okay for Duke, at least. I am planing on retaking my SATs though. Since that was my first attempt (not counting PSATs).
And I’m always trying to find really good Physics Programs, and I was accepted into the Columbia University Summer Program: “Mathematical Boot Camp for Budding String Theorists” but my families finances did not permit me to go this year…
But I have always been interested in studying physics, since I was really young actually and NOVA’s “The Elegant Universe” was on PBS one night… but you don’t care about all that, haha.
I do feel like I have a good chance at at least 5 or 6 schools on my list(Howard, NYU, BU,etc.). I appreciate your honesty, though.</p>

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<p>Any Other Opinions?
Especially on Columbia, Rice, Barnard, Yale, Brown, UPenn, and Tufts!</p>

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<p>I think you’re in at Tufts! They favor AAs and your stats are good enough fer sure :slight_smile: Good luckkk!</p>

10

<p>I think you would be a very competitive applicant at Rice. The funny thing about Rice is that they are less concerned with test scores than many of the other elite schools so it doesn’t matter if you have a 1600 or a 1400, they care more about how you fit in at the school (obviously scores are important they just reject many perfect score applicants). I would also mention on the one hand that Rice would be more difficult to gain admission as an engineering student, but on the other hand, you are an AA woman and there isn’t exactly a huge supply of women in engineering let alone AA women.</p>

<p>Take it from someone who works in higher education, you are at the very, very, very top of the AA applicant pool so you should be admitted to many of the schools you listed. The only thing holding you back won’t be your test scores, it will be how many other students from your school are applying to the top schools. Even that shouldn’t be too big of a problem though. I would encourage you to try and cut your list down a little from where it is now (and I’m sure you will since it is early in the process). Finally, I would think long and hard about attending one of the UC’s. I also feel like I have just been pandering my alma mater recently on CC, but I think it would be a great fit for your interests and check out Washington and Lee. Otherwise you have a great list of schools for your interests especially Rice, Oberlin, and UVA.</p>

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<p>While the OP has good chances everywhere, it is not true that there are not more qualified African-American applicants.</p>

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<p>A note about UC Berkeley and UCLA - none of the UCs consider ethnicity in admissions decisions - they are barred by state law from doing so.</p>

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<p>You’ve got decent chances everywhere you’re applying, with the exception of Yale, Columbia, and Berkeley - those will be harder to get into. I have a couple of things to say, though. First of all, you’re not applying to that many schools. You’re not going to be able to finish that many supplements. Start cutting down.</p>

<p>Also, your extracurrics currently read like a massive laundry list. There isn’t enough room on any application to include anywhere near that many. You don’t show a real passion for anything on here (although maybe you’ve just neglected to do so), and your awards are all local/school-based.</p>

<p>So, my consequent advice for you - trim your school list, and work on augmenting your extracurriculars to show leadership and dedication.</p>

14

<p>Agree with Keasbey Nights. Your ec list is a little too long (but don’t get me wrong, I am impressed =)). And also, do yourself a HUGE favor and don’t apply to that many schools! YOU WILL STRESS YOURSELF OUT. UNNECESSARILY.</p>

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<p>Also, income matters. I suspect that yours might be relatively high since you go to a private school. If your family has a high annual income, you can expect some, if not most, of the AA benefits to disappear.</p>

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<p>Yeah, I am expecting a little help, haha.
Because though my family is upper-middle class I am the last of 4 to go to college in my family, so the funds are a little depleted!
Also, there was no way I was applying to all of those colleges, I am definitely going to trim down the list a good bit before I start the actual process of all of the applications. Those are just the lists of colleges that I am definitely interested in!
And My school is very strange, as there are certain clubs that you cannot join until junior year, so I do show commitment in a lot of the clubs I am in, it just looks like I randomly joined some, but i didn’t. I joined when the opportunities were available to me.
Do I have a good mix of safeties, Matches, and Reaches on my list?
I don’t want to over-shoot nor sell myself short!
Any suggestions on schools that may be a good fit for me (and possible for me to get into), based on my interests?</p>

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<p>I think you’re very competitve match for most of these schools except the ivies and the public ivies. “Howard, NYU, BU” I think you’re absolutely in those, especially Howard. You SATs are good-ish, but won’t make heads turn at the ivy admission office. Your ECs are good, though extensive. Try to narrow down the ones you must absolutely include, especially those geared to what you plan to major in. Your gpa is great, however not incredible. Nonetheless, your course load is good, I think you have a good shot at most, be a daredevil and apply to some ivies-just for the heck of it lol. But PLEASE PLEASE narrow down your school choices.</p>

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<p>But strong extracurrics simply can’t be found in joining school clubs. They generally involve going out of your way to make things happen. For example, I’ve coached a Little League baseball team every season since the league opened. Surely you do something outside of school that you really enjoy. This shows leadership, independence, and drive.</p>