<p>^ That is a good question to ask yourself. Are you in state for any of the schools? Those OOS are typically high cost, including those like NYU which is one of the most expensive in the country, so even if you get in o you have other options in case it unaffordable?</p>
<p>^OP is from Georgia. I don’t think Puerto Rico/Hispanic is a strong factor in admission. D2’s best friend in high school is a Hispanic with similar or better stats but was denied from USC. USC is her dream school. UCLA does not factor in ethnicity.</p>
<p>@Erin’s Dad @Shawnspencer My family understands the cost very well. That is partially why my father isn’t a huge fan of NYU to say the least. However, my family is fully capable of paying as long as we feel it is a good investment. These schools are all schools that we believe are “worth it”. It will all depend on which schools respond positively and which schools provide me with the best opportunities. Thank you both for your concern</p>
<p>@nnocnat2 The issue is that the # of well-qualified URM’s applying to top schools seems to be increasing, so while affirmative action’s still there, that pool is now almost as competitive/cut-throat as the regular one. Sooo we still have a small advantage, but it’s slipping away quick.</p>
<p>Your 30 ACT makes you qualified enough for the schools on your list, and you say you can afford all of them. It’s a matter of making your app stand out & hoping for the best, while remaining realistic/adding some safety schools.</p>
<p>@Lilliana330 I agree with you completely. It truly is unfortunate how competitive all schools are becoming. I will be sure to prepare a unique application to the best of my abilities and hope that every school needs another Puerto Rican;) And yes, adding more safeties is definitely something I need to focus more on. Thank you for your response</p>
<p>@DrGoogle: </p>
<p>The problem for your D2’s friend is that, due to its location, USC already has enough Hispanics to feel diverse enough without having to reduce standards for them. </p>
<p>My advice to the OP, if she wants to maximize a shot at admittance to an elite private or scholarship money, is to look at schools that do <em>not</em> have a large supply of URMs nearby. Universities like Northwestern or WashU or a bunch of LACs in the Midwest (Kenyon, Oberlin, Grinnell, Calreton, etc.).</p>
<p>Also, some schools have diversity scholarships. Babson, for instance.</p>
<p>@nnocnat2:</p>
<p>How did you come up with your list, BTW? I don’t see much similarity between them.</p>
<p>Yeah, I think SoCal is not a good location for Hispanics.</p>
<p>@PurpleTitan That’s a good question! I would prefer a medium to large sized college in some sort of city or populated area. I want to learn in a place full of life! NYU clearly fits this perfectly because of its size and location. I also want the opportunity to study abroad and NYU as well as these other schools offers me the chance to do that. Boston is great because again its in a city and it is also a Catholic institution. I am Catholic so this is a very positive factor for me. I am from California so I have always had a love for the UC schools. However, I haven’t had formal visits yet to the UC schools I mentioned so I will have more definite opinions on those once I’ve visited them each in person. The only school that really didn’t fit my criteria was WIlliam and Mary. This was a school my father encouraged me to visit. I protested immediately, but after attending a tour and information session, I found myself drawn to the peaceful campus and student attention and study policies. Basically, I don’t have an exact mold that all my college choices must fill. I like to weigh the pros and cons for each college and appreciate them all individually for what they all offer. They might not appear similar to you, but they all appeal to me in different ways and I’m excited to continue to explore them. </p>
<p>Favoring minorities is called affirmative action. A decent chunk of states have outlawed it. But, some states haven’t. In regard to ethnicity, you’re favored as long as you’re not Asian or White. </p>
<p>@snappletop: Not always, and not everywhere (even where it isn’t outlawed).</p>
<p>@nnocnat2:</p>
<p>With regards to CA, I’d probably pick USC over any UC if I’m OOS (especially if I’m a national merit semifinalist; not sure if you are).</p>
<p>Georgetown is Catholic and in DC. Pretty much every major city (at least in the Midwest or Northeast) has a local Catholic college or two.
Depaul, Loyola, SLU, Xavier, St. John’s, etc., etc. these would probably be safeties for you, but that also means that you could get more merit aid from them. Dayton isn’t really in a major city (though close to Cincy) and has a reputation for being generous with merit aid.</p>
<p>Also, pretty much any major university will have a well-developed study-abroad program (SLU actually has a campus in Madrid).</p>
<p>@snappletop whites aren’t hurt or helped by affirmative action according to most studies, it just has no effect (slightly hurt). Also for schools like USC near large Hispanic populations, affirmative action might not help a Hispanic as much.</p>