Hispanic sophomore getting lots of college emails after high PSAT scores.

<p>This is my son I’m writing about. 77 emails and counting over the last week. About a dozen snail mails. From good colleges, including some Ivies.</p>

<p>PSAT scores: 72, 60, 65 = 99, 91, 98% of sophomores</p>

<p>I have only noticed one email that specified it was from the “diversity team”, but I gotta believe some others have diversity in mind.</p>

<p>So, what does this mean? He’s on their radar screen, but what else? Unfortunately, he’s a “smart slacker” so his GPA is probably around 3.2 UW, including honors & APs.</p>

<p>Also, we live in affluent Westchester County, NY. His GC told me colleges are looking for “authentic” Hispanics, and apparently we may be too “Anglocized” to qualify. Meaning, he has no accent and we’re too rich.</p>

<p>We’re starting on this interesting journey to college, and I’m learning a lot as we go along.</p>

<p>I think your GC is an idiot, that "authentic hispanic" argument is BS. What the hell is an "authentic hispanic" anyways? Some poor kid who was smuggled across the border who has to mug people for grocery money? PLEEAASSE!!</p>

<p>This just means that your kid is hooked, be thankful! All he has to do is step up a bit and he'll be good to go come senior year</p>

<p>i think everybody gets a **** load of mail after taking the P/SAT</p>

<p>^not necessarily true.</p>

<p>PayFor, I suggest that you should try hard to help your son getting his GPA up. Luckily he's only a sophmore (upward trend always look good).</p>

<p>Honestly, the other students (of other ethnicities) scoring around 190 on the PSAT are probably getting a lot of spam as well. I wouldn't look too much into it.</p>

<p>Don't worry about being too rich. Colleges and grad schools need Hispanics, rich or poor. All things being equal, a poor URM is preferable to a rich URM. But, a rich URM is preferable to any ORM.</p>

<p>Colleges use the Student Search Service to market their schools. While they have info on ethnicity (if your son filled out that info on his PSAT) a score of 190 will probably generate some mail on its own, as norcalguy points out.<br>
<a href="http://professionals.collegeboard.com/higher-ed/recruitment/sss%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://professionals.collegeboard.com/higher-ed/recruitment/sss&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Good luck for your son, get his gpa up and don't mind anything else. My son also did very well and was eligible for NMSF. The colleges like to put in their brochures the amount of NMSF %. for in coming freshman along with ethnicity. </p>

<p>Sit back, be proud and move on.</p>

<p>Side note, I do think that the ethnicity issue by College board should e re-evaluated. As an example, that was meant for minorities, who may need additional help to play on the field. It is unfair that someone who is of Asian descent and born in the US, may get a closer look, than someone whose parents are not 100% of a minority.</p>

<p>Through threads I have seen kids say I am 1/16th Indian, and 50% asian can I check both minorities, even though parents only speak english. I have also seen children who have gone to school in the US their entire educational career, yet say I immigrated when I was 1 so I should get some points.<br>
Before anyone jumps on me, I understand the parents may speak "broken" english, but I also have a friend who adopted 3 children from Africa when they were in elementary school. These children flourished (were mainstreamed out of esl within a yr), the parents are caucasian and did have them mark the box for African American, because they are, but it was done for factual and not to beat the system</p>

<p>The number of emails is not particularly huge for a sophomore, but congratulations. He should have some good choices if he prepares his applications carefully.</p>

<p>Thank you everyone for your comments. I am trying everything I can to encourage him to get his GPA up, but he just doesn’t seem to care enough. I’ll keep trying and I have heard that an upward trend can make a difference. He’s not helping himself when he gets Bs in Health or Band classes. Sheesh.</p>

<p>BTW, his GC has the attitude that he shouldn’t be pressured too much – “let him find his way”. That’s understandable to some degree, but I feel like they’re letting me down.</p>

<p>Some of these emails are making us laugh. It almost feels like he’s being stalked. Some are sending second emails with subject lines saying “We haven’t heard back from you, PayForSon” or “Hello again, PayForSon”.</p>

<p>EVERY ONE gets mail. When you write on ur paper ur email address along w/ ur other info. u WILL get mail</p>