<p>As most of you know, ivy league d day was yesterday. Although I'm only a junior, the results from many of my senior friends scared me. Much like them, I am asian, have good SAT scores, leadership positions, state level awards, volunteer work, blah blah blah. I'm not going to get into specifics unless you guys think doing so would be helpful. Anyway, my friends with eerily similar stats to mine basically got rejected to everywhere they applied, at least ivy wise. I know affirmative action played a huge role in this, and I'm really curious as to what I can do as an asian applicant to help me out. Often times people say I'm really "unasian" because I DJ and occasionally model, but I doubt those things would help me get into columbia, cornell, etc. Thanks for reading this guys. Advice?</p>
<p>I think you answered the question yourself. You stated, “Much like them, I am asian, have good SAT scores, leadership positions, state level awards, volunteer work, blah blah blah.” A school wants so much of the same students with the same activities. </p>
<p>How do you stand out? By doing things your friends are not doing, which you TRULY ENJOY and then focus on those. </p>
<p>Forget the stats - I think more of your friends would have gotten in if they really represented different than their peers. Tough, I know, but I did do a double-take that you DJ and model. That is a start because no one does those activities to pad a resume. Right there, your application would be taken a more genuine. </p>
<p>Genuine counts in admissions and too many students miss that point and go with the president of this and that club. Hey, someone has to be president of the club if it exists, but no one has to DJ or model.</p>
<p>I don’t see what being Asian has anything to do with your question nor why this is in the “What’s my chances?” section. </p>
<p>@awcntdb thank you for the wise words. I will definitely keep them in mind
@wannabefeynman I asked a question regarding how to improve my chances at college admissions. I cannot see how you think that is not related </p>
<p>Start by not buying into the idea that your Asian heritage has anything to do with anything. Don’t play the affirmative action envy game. Did you consider that your friends did not get accepted because there are just too many excellent students of all ethnicities vying for very few Ivy League slots? Why assume it was their ethnicity or yours that is the determining factor? Believe me, I have heard this for years. As a student myself in a California, in the 80s, everyone claimed to know with certainty that only Asians got accepted to Berkeley. So when an Asian friend did accepted to Berkeley, what kind of response did they get from so-called friends? “Yeah, whatever, of course you did, you’re Asian.” That came from friends of all ethnicities, Asian included. Maybe, just maybe they got accepted to Berkeley because they were outstanding, awesome students (which, is, of course, why they were accepted.)</p>
<p>So think outside the box. Focus on being your best you. Your ethnicity is just a fluke of nature and nothing you can do about it, and why should you besides? Focus on what you do have control over - your academic excellence, your winning personality, your passion for life (and if you have none of that, then get started now instead of wondering if you are “unAsian” enough :). Let your generation be the one that finally rejects the affirmative action envy and consequent divisiveness. That would be really awesome. I have been waiting for that for almost 30 years. </p>
<p>Show some charisma. Too many Asians can ace a test but can’t "shake hands"if you know what I mean. Go do an interview at the colleges you are applying to, and be really personable and completely honest. I think that’s what would set you apart.</p>
<p>Chance back?
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1631743-do-i-have-a-remote-chance-at-cornell-will-chance-back.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1631743-do-i-have-a-remote-chance-at-cornell-will-chance-back.html#latest</a></p>
<p>@Nflpackers96 … oh my goodness, thanks for reminding why I need not hold my breath for change :)</p>
<p>Best of luck with Cornell.</p>
<p>@chesterton I really appreciate you input, but I know for a fact that ethnicity plays a huge role in admissions. How else would an african american student get into MIT with a 1900 SAT, and my asian friend get rejected with a 2350? That is just one of the many examples that I have</p>
<p>Now you are talking nonsense. The only place where it could help is if the school favours people part of a minority group. MIT and other schools consider a holistic approach. The 1950 SAT scorer likely did something more worthy of admission for his ECs or something else. </p>
<p>@wannabefeynman I knew them both personally and even helped them look over their applications. The african american applicant and asian applicant had practically the same ECs, with minor variations. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Take a look at the ivy acceptances thread. People who got into top universities with low SAT scores are never asian, almost always hispanic or black</p>
<p>I think you’re wrong about the DJ thing, especially if it’s something you do passionately. I’d go so far as to say, spend as much free time as you have between now and Jan 1 turning that into something really awesome. Every other smart kid is going to spend the summer interning in some lab. They’re still going to look alike on paper. But YOU have a chance to be that awesome chick who’s all that and and the most sought-after emcee around. Why wouldn’t Harvard want a student like that?</p>
<p>@WasatchWriter thank you for the inspiring words homie. but is it worth it to partially sacrifice grades for that?</p>
<p>It would depend on the sacrifice. According to Harvard’s Common Data Set (start looking for those if you haven’t already; I’m using Harvard’s just because it’s already on my computer and it’s pretty complete), roughly 92% of freshman have a GPA higher than 3.75. I’d say 3.8 is as low as you want it to go. Similarly, 95% are in the top 10% of their graduating class. So the GPA standards are pretty high. You’d have to strike a balance.</p>
<p>Just checked more data. Princeton also takes 95% from the top 10% of their class, but the % of freshman having a GPA higher than 3.75 is “only” 85%. Still a high standard.</p>