<p>Chinaman, yes, I am a URM. My children are of mixed race. I posed the question as I begin to think about child 3, who will apply next year. Child one did not seem to get an edge for being mixed race and #2 awaits an ED decision this week. Child 3 is perhaps the most talented of my children, but does not score as well as her sibs. She thus far has a 1350 SATI. She is however, one of those kids who leads everything. Class president, started multiple clubs, heavily involved in community, a big-hearted giver. Half honors and APs, but is just not a math/science student. Will a highly selective college take this child?</p>
<p>Private schools will almost always make room for some mega-rich kids. Why? Because when they graduate, there is a chance that they will shower the university with money. There was one mega rich kid in my class at school. Every reunion year (every 5 years), he pledges 1+ million dollars. (Note: this mega rich kid could handle the work.)</p>
<p>Colleges take chances with AA. Colleges take chances with development cases. Once again, there aren't many spots--there are only so many mega-rich kids. Wonder where the Gates kids will go to college?</p>
<p>If HYPSM are a "reach" for almost anyone, then my son got in by playing a little bit of a numbers game, applying to HYP and S, as well as a few others in what might be one tier lower. His stats etc were strong, 1570/800/800/760, 3.95 uw, Nat'l merit winner, all-league in soccer and baseball, etc.. But, as a white kid from Megalopolis with no hooks (non-legacy, chose not to seek athletic recruitment) he faced stiff competition, which the published SAT ranges and acceptance percentages at these schools really don't begin to hint at. Deferred, waitlisted at all four, finally accepted at one in May. But, for what it's worth, accepted at every one of his choices in the next tier down, Dart, Duke, Williams.</p>
<p>He would have been delighted by acceptance at any of these, only squeaked in to top tier by applying to enough of them to increase the odds.</p>
<p>Also, I do agree that my children should not be given preference for being mixed race as they have had every advantage. My assumption is that schools looking at their educational history will not give them preference. AA, in my eyes, should be based on SES primarily.</p>
<p>Kirmum:</p>
<p>Being an assain, my son probably will have a tough competition as he is looking for college. He has made his choices even more tough by being involved in politics. But that is his heart. So do not worry everything will be allright in th end</p>
<p>"Child 3 is perhaps the most talented of my children, but does not score as well as her sibs. She thus far has a 1350 SATI. She is however, one of those kids who leads everything. Class president, started multiple clubs, heavily involved in community, a big-hearted giver. Half honors and APs, but is just not a math/science student. Will a highly selective college take this child?"</p>
<p>Approximately 3,490 out of the nation's 3,500 institutions of higher learning will accept this child. Approximately 190 of the top 200 are likely to. Why fret about a couple that may or may not, and may or may not offer a better education for HER than the other 198?</p>
<p>Where my d. is now thought they were competing with H., and so they piled on the opportunities and the big bucks. Great for us - we struck the lottery. Fact was, after visiting H., she didn't even apply - they told her point blank that the person she wanted to study with only taught graduate students, and that rarely. She thought about Y. - but for my kid, relaxation consists of long walks in the woods! Duh! She looked at P., and saw that tiny percentages of students study abroad (and they even charge you an extra fee to do so.) So which, for HER, exactly was the "top tier"?</p>
<p>mini:</p>
<p>So where is your daughter attending? Do you acre to share?</p>
<p>Smith, which she finally chose over Williams. But "where" is not the point. The point is that getting into one's reach might or might not be a good thing if it blinds both student and family as to what s/he is hoping to get out of college to begin with.</p>
<p>mini:</p>
<p>I personally think that for my family sitaution the school which offers best education while giving the best aid (more imortant critrion) will be the school that my kid will choose. However, my kid has last say in this matter as he has to take loan if there is a need. Ultimately this is his life. Others may have different priorties.</p>
<p>Chinaman, I do not believe your son will be at any disadvantage for being Asian, and I also feel his political activites and his interesting resume will be to his advantage along with his excellent stats. </p>
<p>Kirmum, your children will have advantages if they fall in the URM category for college admissions, and my opinion is that they should take them. There are plenty of disadvantages they will have without the choice for being in their ethnic category; might as well take the good part since you are stuck with dealing with the bad. The reason URMs have this advantage is that colleges want them right now, and there are not enough kids who fall in this category with the qualifications the colleges want. Income is a whole different issue. </p>
<p>In my experience, the greatest advantage any child has is the support from the parents. It trumps the money.</p>
<p>CMU (SCS), & Brown? I'm not sure if they were "reaches" academically, as his grades and test scores were good. However, I feel the main reason for his college application success was that he is a very well-rounded individual with interests from religion to theatre to science and math. I know this may be just the opposite of what the college guide books are advocating (he didn't have any particular "hook"). But I truly feel that at least SCS at CMU is looking for individuals that are both "left and right-brained".</p>
<p>jamimom:</p>
<p>Thanks for your optimism. It is not a question of disadvatgages but a matter of thinking. It is not the end of world if someone does not get in a particular school. My kid is trying his best, rest is upto God. People survive and yes there is day after tomorrow. So I told them keep working and do not think about results. If they are lucky, they will be in. Otherwise move on.</p>
<p>Ellenmope, just to share my experience with "megarich" kids and college admissions, I know a number of them since my boys go to a school that has a population of very wealthy families. Also my close friend's daughter went to Choate Rosemary Hall and I spent some time with her when she was doing her college search and was privy to some of the experiences of some top income kids. </p>
<p>The most selective colleges do not automatically accept these kids. Even when such kids have the profile where their stat are matches for these schools, they may well not be accepted. I have seen this happen enough times to say this. And in a few cases, the kids were legacies as well and the parents generous donors. Now, what I cannot say is that if any of the parents of such kids have an offering in the air and the admissions process occurs at that time...... well, I would think the college developement office would be on top of that one. But just being a Rockefellow is not going to get a kid into Harvard, and even if his profile is well within acceptable norms,does not mean the kids is an automatic in.</p>
<p>Good advice!</p>
<p>I think probably being a Rockefeller does get you into places like Harvard, even if you have a 3.2/1100/no ECs. I can't say I mind that rare instance though- their donations pay my financial aid.</p>
<p>Jamimom - I know which mega-rich alum that ellemenope is talking about, and that family doesn't have millions; it has billions. That, coupled with being very bright and highly motivated, probably ensured that the chances of getting rejected at the highly-selective private school were near zero, IMHO.</p>
<p>My kid got into some of those schools that are a reach for everyone, though he is not a legacy, not an athlete, not a minority, not mega rich, won no international awards, got no geographical advantage, and does not walk on water. He is two things: a great student whose intellectual passion showed in his courses, his essays, and his recommendations; and someone who was involved in just a couple of ecs but in depth. I assume he also had some luck. The only things I know of that he ever did specifically for college admissions was to stick with a final year of French when he would have rather not.</p>
<p>I post this here because you can strategize to death, but at least some of the time, colleges do just go for the well-rounded, excellent student. You can't ever count on it (he did get rejected by one reach school), which is where the luck comes in, but it does happen.</p>
<p>I've got proof that many, many schools are statistical "reaches" for all-- and my favorite apocryphal story of 2004:</p>
<p>Last year, an <em>outstanding</em> girl in my D's school applied to 10 schools--matches, reaches & safetys-- and was either Wait Listed or Denied at NINE of the ten.</p>
<p>She was admitted to one school... Harvard.</p>
<p>If that doesn't tell you how wacky it can be!</p>
<p>SBmom -- That's the luck part.</p>
<p>SBMom
I wonder if that gal wrote outstanding essay for H, but perhaps less interest shown for other schools. If equally enthused, then it really does say something about the system, luck, and hedging bets by applying to several 'reach' schools.</p>