<p>no ,it's increase your chance, less people, less competition. That being said, don't go around drugging everybody before their exams or anything like that.(lol)</p>
<p>please, you guys are hijacking my thread here, the thread is not about mexican dude here and I ask that you mexican dude either post something helpful or dont post at all. ;) You just cluttered the thread with nearly 10 irrelevent posts. I thought there were rules in this forum against hijacking other threads, I may be wrong.</p>
<hr>
<p>Variance2004, please, give us a link to the page. I was just searching all of Harvard's page and I dont see nothing that proves your assumption. Thanks.</p>
<p>ebonytear, I know I'm a freshmen, and I know I <em>might</em> change, which is why I plan to make sure I gear toward two interests of mine, business and and IR/Politics. I'm starting to freak out because my freshmen year grades are just average and I am now distressed that ivies will not even consider me because of that...</p>
<p>Unfortunately, I dont think anything in my school is offered towards an interest in politics or IR... the closest thing is the Key Club (and that has to do with citizenship basically). However I will start scouting some community colleges around here and see if there are groups I can join and what's up with them.</p>
<p>I am commited to doing GREAT in my high school years from now on. I have better time management skills, and I know my goals. I know I will work hard, however the question here is if the hardest I can do will help me for the ivy's... like lets say I do get straight A's for the next three years, and good SAT grades, will I be considered despite my freshmen year?</p>
<p>I guess Georgetown is an option, far away from home but I do hear its a great school for politics, right smack dab in the capitol. :) Aren't they selective too, like HYP?</p>
<p>So sorry A-san, did you see the link that some one got into Brown with a 2.3 HS GPA recently. Keep up the good great and don't let the nay-sayers keep you down. What happened in Freshman year is the past, there is nothing you can do, just move forward and get good grades.
My daughter did not start out that great but I'm not worried(and I'm a worry wart here!).</p>
<p>So if I were to graduate from HS with IB (diploma too) and AP classes with a 4.0UW and barely no EC's, but some sports....would I stand a chance if my SAT scores were like 2200+????I'm Mexican..</p>
<p>BTW and EDIT: I'll be taking IB and AP's, and I do have a 4.0 GPA, and I'm 100% sure I'm the only Hispanic of Mexican Origin in my Honors classes.</p>
<p>really? I didn't see the link, can you give it to me. :D</p>
<p>Maybe thats some light in the end of the tunnel.. but I definately understand what you are saying, its the past, and now I have to make sure my future is on par. :)</p>
<p>There is more bad advice on this site then I've seen anywhere else in my life. </p>
<p>Not starting out strong will kill most applicants at top 10 schools. Sorry SusieQ, but that's just fact. Below that,there are ways to deal.</p>
<p>URMs do get breaks, and I'm speaking as one. A lot comes into play though. If you go to a school tht offers a lot and you haven't done well and taken advantage of the offerings, being a URM won't matter, If you go to a public school in a poor area and are at the top of your class, it means everything. </p>
<p>Some schools need to really bend over to get URMs, HYPSM etc. don't. There are many with top scroes, GPAs and ECs. All of those schools now have lots of URM legacy candidates. Also, let's not forget that athletes fill MANY, MANY URM spots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>
<p>So all this cockiness about being the best among URMs is just a lot of crap. You may be the best in your neighborhood or at your school, but the world is now fill of highly qualified URMs of every color who want those same spots.</p>
<p>suze, you are not an authority on this subject and I wouldn't acting as if your word is a mantra. You are a high school person, is that right?
What bad advice did I give? I said it already happened in the past, I advice A-SAn just move forward, there are too many factors. I'm still trying to find the link for A-SAN. Your attitue amazes me.</p>
<p>A-San,
Here is the link for bad GPA
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=64086%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=64086</a></p>
<p>Thanks SusieQ2007! :)</p>
<p>@Suze, you seem so confident of what your saying... are you an appcd? Are you even out of highschool?</p>
<p>I'm a junior at one of the very top high schools in the Country (not one of the bogus claims) where I have seen many URMs denied. I've looked through our college books especially noting URM success or lack there of at the ivies. Single years that were not great made a difference. My school also has an admissions process very much like the ivies. This year I was really rooting for someone I gave a tour and overnight hosted. She ended up rejected. Reson? Bad Freshman year of high school!</p>
<p>SusieQ, the bad advice wasn't yours. Just read this thread for the amount of misinformation. I do disagree, however, that you should not be worried about a kid who did not start out strong if they are aiming at the very top colleges.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I'm a junior at one of the very top high schools in the Country (not one of the bogus claims) where I have seen many URMs denied. I've looked through our college books especially noting URM success or lack there of at the ivies. Single years that were not great made a difference. My school also has an admissions process very much like the ivies. This year I was really rooting for someone I gave a tour and overnight hosted. She ended up rejected. Reson? Bad Freshman year of high school!</p>
<p>SusieQ, the bad advice wasn't yours. Just read this thread for the amount of misinformation. I do disagree, however, that you should not be worried about a kid who did not start out strong if they are aiming at the very top colleges.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You sound quite cocky. Well as you know from the thread, I cannot take no for an answer. So instead of just telling me flat out that I have no possible chance at all to any of the ivies, tell me how I can improve so I can still atleast be a reach. Becuase I will apply to most of them no matter what, and NYU. Btw, it is said Princeton doesn't regard freshmen grades... so does that mean I still have a very good chance?</p>
<p>I'm not trying to be cocky, but it's just fact that I go to a top school, we place over 30% per year at ivies, Stanford or MIT, we have lots of URMs and we have great college counselors who educate us well.</p>
<p>I didn't say you had no chance, I said (or meant to( that you have something to overcome when one year is not stellar.</p>
<p>In your position I would try to create real depth in an EC or academic subject area that could really set you apart. Other than saying that, I would need more info. If you are an affluent URM and go to an affluent school (as I do), that's one story. If you are first generation college, go to an all minority school in a poor neighborhood with few APs, that's a different story. </p>
<p>The author of A is for Admissions, one of the best college books out there, advised that I was no shoo in at a lower ivy with a 1510 (old SAT), high rank and double legacy from the kind of school I go to! And she's correct!</p>
<p>I'm going to Harvard.</p>
<p>I'm going to ignore the criticisms of the more self-assured people here, and go with my opinion and experience. After all, that's what everyone is doing, isn't it? And besides, if you go to a prep school, aka Andover, most URMs will be pretty well-to-do....colleges nowdays have a focus on socio-economic standing as well; if you're a minority and in the lower class, they will give your more credit (since you can't get the kind of resources that these prep school URMS can get) and more finaid if accepted.</p>
<p>There are many people accepted to Ivies who have bad records. It happens, and is elaborated on even in 'A for Admissions'. Don't let this disheartening advice bog you down (there are always naysayers); but don't let my advice puff you up. Take everything with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>WIth that said:</p>
<p>"ebonytear, I know I'm a freshmen, and I know I <em>might</em> change, which is why I plan to make sure I gear toward two interests of mine, business and and IR/Politics. I'm starting to freak out because my freshmen year grades are just average and I am now distressed that ivies will not even consider me because of that..."</p>
<p>I think its good that you pick out two majors that are both humanities oriented, although I've heard it said that its easier to go from Law (IR/Politics) to Business (MIT Stern graduate). Some Ivies don't even consider freshman year grades. I know for sure Stanford doesn't, but don't have the facts on the other Ivies. Even so, they place less of an emphasis on freshman year than anything else...although if it comes down to you and another person with similar stats but they have a better frosh year, they'll get admitted. Improvement is also good to show (so if you can get the straight As, more power to you - though this works less if you don't have a reason to have gotten bad first year scores, i.e. just immigrated). But you can still improve your chances by being very good at 2-3 things - i.e. making yourself stand out in terms of ECs. Stanford wants a well-rounded class, not well-rounded people (stanford rep) - so if you are really good at something and can contribute that - so that they can see rep or $$ in the future from you or for alumni because of your success, they'll admit you. I'd go for MUN/Mock Trial/Debate in this case.</p>
<p>"However I will start scouting some community colleges around here and see if there are groups I can join and what's up with them." That'd be awesome. Do that kind of activity, and to make it even better, after a year or so, found a club at your school to participate at the hs level. You show initiative twice. </p>
<p>"I am commited to doing GREAT in my high school years from now on. I have better time management skills, and I know my goals. I know I will work hard, however the question here is if the hardest I can do will help me for the ivy's... like lets say I do get straight A's for the next three years, and good SAT grades, will I be considered despite my freshmen year?" You'll definitely be considered. Whether you're accepted, nobody knows. However, I think you'll have a much better chance, esp. if you distinguish yourself. Ivies reject 1600/Valedictorians all the time b/c they aren't unique, and accept lower SAT/lower ranked students b/c they have something special to contribute to the university. </p>
<p>"I guess Georgetown is an option, far away from home but I do hear its a great school for politics, right smack dab in the capitol. Aren't they selective too, like HYP?" I don't see how Georgetown is more far away from home than schools like Yale or Harvard. It is a great school for politics. I'd say they're definitely less selective than HYP - still competitive though. The only thing is that Georgetown would back you into the poli sci corner so you'd be doomed (not doomed but the school wouldn't work out for you as well) if you decided to go for business. </p>
<p>Good luck! (and get off this board and do your hw...lol)</p>
<p>suze, I used to live near your school even before you were born, Andover is that right? I know it's a great school for rich kids(not everybody there is rich). However, you can say that with that kind of freshman year record there is a lower probability of getting into Ivy schools and I would agree with you. What I don't really like is kids who throw away their chances to top school,just before Sophomore year, because they have a bad Freshman year. There are still 2.5 more years with many more chances for redemption.
And what I've been trying to teach my kids is life lessons as well as academic subjects is that never to take no from anyone until they themselves try a little bit harder first, take things a little bit further, and never back down for a moment if they know they are right.</p>
<p>i am mexican american, and i have a friend who is mexican maerican.</p>
<p>he spent about two months filling papers to change his ethnic group cause it said white.</p>
<p>he said he hoped it was n't for vein cause he wants it for a URM boost.</p>
<p>Hello, A-san. Some people here are saying that bad initial grades will destroy your chances, others are saying the opposite. The best way to make sense of all this advice may be to remember that your application is made up of many different parts, and that no one part of the application can completely sink you on its own if the others are still strong. However, doing poorly on one or more sections (letters of recommendation, grades, courses taken, essays, interviews, academic awards, portfolio/academic involvement, community service, etc.) means that you have to compensate by doing much better on the other sections, and some people it is not possible to compensate enough on the other parts to make up for problems they've had in certain sections. </p>
<p>You have mainly been speaking only about your grades so far. If your application is going to be based mainly on exam scores, URM membership, and grades, poor grades in any year are going to be an issue. However, if you have something great to offer the school outside the basic stats, that could compensate for any GPA problems you have had. Two of my friends were accepted to top schools (one Ivy, one Berkeley) with all-around low HS GPA (all four years, that is), one of them had an ACT score somewhere around 22, and neither were rich nor well-connected. The reason for their admission is that they were both fantastic artists - one had been working as a professional medical illustrator since age ten and the other was an accomplished potter and sculptor who had put on solo shows in several major galleries and museums. Their extracurricular activities (in this case genuine passion rather than resume-padding) was enough to outweigh conventional admissions markers. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you can go at college admissions from different angles, and that major or minor failings from one angle does not shut down your ability to get in if you are willing to do something else to make up for it. BTW, perfect GPA/SAT is not a guarantee for Ivy admission either. Just about everybody needs to work on their community service/extracurriculars to get in (preferably real interests rather than something completed only for the application).</p>
<p>SusieQ, going to Andover and it's peer schools comes with many advantages and many disadvantages. Trust me, many of us are far from rich and we have an especially large group of very bright URMs from disadvantaged backgrounds. I know full well that they have a much better shot than I do coming from an affluent (but far from rich) family.</p>
<p>One of the things the school does really well is to teach us the realities of college admissions. I just go crazy when I see some of the things on this site, but I realize that our college counseling is unususal. I think everyone should fight like a dog to get into the college of their dreams. I also think that the sooner reality is accepted, the college of your dreams may be redefined. </p>
<p>How can anyone read the results here, and on other forums, of this year's college admissions and believe that top schools are forgiving of much? It can't stop you for going for your dreams, but for me it helped me widen my prospects.</p>
<p>When I came to Andover and saw all the super stars it seemed clear we were not all going ivy. There were people great at everything! 3 varsity sports!! Pres of 4 clubs they founded? Spoke 4 languages!! Well then there's also Exeter, St. Paul's and a bunch of other equally good schools with as many stars. And then all the great publics and private day schools and you begin to realize you may have been a star in Hartford, but this is Broadway!</p>
<p>My point on a thread like this is not to be negative. The OP really didn't tell us much, but he is from the country's wealthiest state so may well not be a disadvantaged URM. Many on this site will tell you that if you are a URM and haven't killed anyone, you're in. My point is that there will be lots of candidates, URM and otherwise, who will look pretty perfect on paper. Given that, I personally would look beyond HYP.</p>
<p>affirmative action is rediculous</p>
<p>Suze, I agree with most of your post and I do see your point on the URM. But I think the OP just ask about his Freshman year and whether he can kiss Ivies good bye based on his record so far and the answer is not conclusive, there are still too many factors to be considered. If he were a high school senior and presented his stats, I would suggest he included a lot of safeties.</p>