<p>I was wondering whether the chance of acceptance to Columbia increases of you are an URM (Under Represented Minority)?</p>
<p>Bump*^^^^^^^^</p>
<p>No, college admissions are 100% merit based.</p>
<p>AA is a little overrated IMO when you’re talking about elite and exceptional schools. The achievement gap between whites and non whites occurs mostly in the middle. It’s like an hourglass, so they have no problem finding qualified minorities to admit. So get to work!</p>
<p>Alright thanks a lot
Do you think I have a chance with these stats?</p>
<p>GPA: 3.72 (top 4 in my school)
SAT: 1900
M: 690
W: 580(plan on moving it up to a 680)
V: 630 (plan on moving it up to a 660 at least)</p>
<p>SAT 2
Plan on taking the Math 1 and 2 subject test as well as the US History Subject test
Projected score for these test based on practice exams:
Math 1: 650
Math 2: 690
US History: 650</p>
<p>Plan on taking the ACT
I’m going to become a senior after the summer and yes I do plan on taking all these tests. ( I have a plan don’t worry)
Projected score based on practice tests:
30</p>
<p>ACTIVITIES (I go to a really small school and this is all they had to offer)
*BCA Band- 2009-2011
*BCA World Ensemble- 2010-2011
*Peer Tutor in English- 2009-2010
*Peer Tutor in Math 2010-2011
*Kings county hospital Volunteer- October 2011-Present
*AV team for Talent Show- April 2012- June 1, 2012
*I begin shadowing a doctor later this July. </p>
<p>My school did not have AP courses but they did have College level Courses:
Theater: A
Psychology: A+
Music: A-
Precalculus: A
Calculus: A-
English: B+
Philosophy: A</p>
<p>To be honest, being an under-represented minority certainly does help in the admissions process. That being said, a 1900 SAT score is neither typical of a Columbia student nor one in top four of their class. I would certainly try to raise that up, although that ACT score would be good if you got it.</p>
<p>Stats are low. URM, or not, you NEED to raise these scores. Don’t assume that your URM status will negate non-competitive statistics. Your goal should be to become a competitive Columbia applicant, and NOT merely coast on being a Columbia URM applicant. With this GPA, are you really among the top four in your class?</p>
<p>Not your fault, but I am TRULY tired of seeing “projected” scores. Come back with the ACTUAL scores! Your projected scores mean ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!</p>
<p>ECs? Not particularly impressive, at least as you have here described them.</p>
<p>Not saying you couldn’t eventually become a competitive applicant. Given what you have presented here, however, you are not there yet!</p>
<p>KEEP WORKING AT IT!!!</p>
<p>Your projected scores are even too low</p>
<p>Yes being a URM helps. No it wont guarantee you in. Test scores are low for Columbia.</p>
<p>Thanks. Columbia is my dream/ very HIGH reach school. I would be really lucky to get in.</p>
<p>For a school with as much diversity as Columbia, I think that being a URM doesn’t help a whole lot. It might a little, but just make sure that you don’t depend on it. Raise any low grades or scores as much as possible. You want to be accepted because you have proven that you deserve to be there. (From one URM to another 
)</p>
<p>No, URM helps a good deal in admissions to ivy league and peer institutions. </p>
<p>But you don’t have much of a chance with those SAT scores.</p>
<p>Anyone who is claiming that being an URM doesn’t help clearly doesn’t know much about the college admissions process. Just by taking a look at the class of 2016’s decision page you can notice an apparent trend of high-scoring ORM’s being rejected while lower scoring URM’s are accepted. The current dean of admissions at Columbia is known for placing a stronger emphasis on diversity than the deans from other Ivy’s. Personally, I think that admissions shouldn’t be based on race at all, but instead they should give an advantage to people coming from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. That way a ORM and an URM from the same poor school in the middle of a impoverished city will have the same chances of getting into a good college. </p>
<p>Regarding your stats, your test scores are definitely on the lower end of the spectrum. If you were to apply right now you probably wouldn’t make it into the 3rd round of selection. I’m not saying this to be mean, but instead I hope you use this information to redouble your efforts and really hit the books hard to get those scores up. </p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Yes
That was a GREAT post. It really cleared things up for me. I’m def. working extra extra hard to bring my scores up. That was somewhat of a confidence booster.</p>
<p>in what city is your school?</p>
<p>Just wondering why somebody would want to be “chanced” by others of the same age, or maybe barely above by a year? Do you truly think any of them know squat? Seriously wondering why you kids make these things.</p>
<p>You’ll notice that majority of the posts are comments on how to strengthen an application, not just “sure you’ll get in” or “nope, not gonna happen.” </p>
<p>The OP asked a question about being a URM. Many replies have been with facts from Columbia. Obviously no one, not other kids, admissions officers, or parents can know how the admissions decisions will go. However, reading stats and offering feedback to improve chances is something that others can do. </p>
<p>If you want to question the effectiveness (or perhaps point) to a chance me thread fine. But this is not a chance me thread and you’re not going to get very far by mocking and belittling the decisions of “kids” who you’re trying to appeal to.</p>
<p>It became a “chance me” thread with post #5. The OP wants to know if they can get into Columbia with projected scores. There is not one single reply that would tell the OP anything new that they couldn’t get from the common data set.</p>
<p>I don’t see any posts with facts from Columbia.</p>
<p>Perhaps it became a bit of a “chance me” thread. However, many posts have been more about what improvements would help. “Chance me” and “give advice” are two separate thins and I think this thread is more of the latter. But regardless, I think the OP is capable of making his/her own decisions in how much advice to take. It’s just common sense that no one can accurately predict someone else’s chances of getting into a school. </p>
<p>Thousands of rising seniors have never heard of the common data set. They have no idea what it is or that something like it even exists. If you thought it would be more helpful to simply refer the OP to the common data set it would’ve been much more useful (and polite) to simply help the OP by posting a link or explaining it rather than talk down to the OP, other posters who don’t know “squat,” and “you kids” who post such things.</p>
<p>You may be correct, but I don’t see you linking the OP to the common data set either. </p>
<p>I am not picking on this poster in particular, just in the entire mentality of this whole “chance me” am I good enough to get into X school mindset. Every student here has taken the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or is savvy enough to master the internet to find collegeboard. I am simply saying what EVERY parent on here is thinking. Do your homework for schools that you are interested in. DON’T rely on other kids to help you make your college list. Years from now, you will look at this and see how silly it is for you to ask advice from people who know NOTHING!</p>