How high is the bar set?

<p>I was just wondering what the general range of ACT scores needed,at least, for consideration are and what the general scores that admited African Americans attained for acceptance into top schools like HYP and the other ivys.</p>

<p>Haha, that data isn’t available for obvious reasons. But I say reach for the median. If you score near a perfect and have excellent ECs, a interesting background (overcame adversity), good essays/recs and grades you almost an auto-admit. If you’re a black male, it’s an admit. </p>

<p>Auto admit? Go through this years threads-ivy acceptances have been quite low so I don’t know how you come to that conclusion.</p>

<p>The bar should be the same as any other standard Ivy admit. To accept less is admitting certain people are not as intelligent, which I do not believe is true. </p>

<p>Hit the books and get ready for the test and do as well as everyone else. No need to buy into a double standard, which is essentially selling yourself short. Have a bit more faith in yourself and put the effort in and go for the high bar, not the lower bar set by others who think you cannot make it. Yes, you can make the standard Ivy admit bar.</p>

<p>Understand that I say this as a parent. I also understand that my life is not yours and my kids life is not yours, but it would disturb me if my kids believed they were less than someone else and thus were judging themselves against lower fabricated standards. Research the mid-range SAT scores for the schools you are applying to and shoot for those scores.</p>

<p>PS: Had to post again because edit now limited to 15 minutes, it seems.</p>

<p>Aim to reach the average of what schools require. If you mess up in one category though, don’t be too discouraged and go for it. You never know. The bar isn’t different for AAs by the way. Many of us just have more to offer with our experiences.</p>

<p>^^ Thank you for that clarification. Much appreciated. </p>

<p>I assume you did note however the OP specifically was looking for some AA standard for scores. I also assume the OP did not get the idea such a different standard does exist all on his own, so something is up somewhere along the grapevine. It would be interesting to see if the fact that the standard is no different holds up under empirical evidence. That is a job for a social scientist. In either case, thank you again for the clarification.</p>

<p>I do think when you used the term “more to offer” you really meant “different to offer.” More indicates you have something in addition to, i.e., more than someone else, including what that other person has. I do not think anyone would say he brings your experience and more, but that he does bring a different experience. It follows then the same must go in reverse, you bring a different experience, but not more than he does because you do not encompass his experience. But, I think I get the gist of what you meant. </p>

<p>I think it is safe to say that “schools like HPY” are interested in having a certain percentage of AA students in their student body. Keep in mind that a good portion of that percentage will be filled with athletes. Depending on the class size, and the usual percentage of AA students in the class, after athletes have been accounted for how many spots does that really leave? How will you compare against the rest of the AA applicants? Thousands of AA students are rejected from these schools every year-do you think you will be one of the best AA applicants in the country?</p>

<p>If it helps, my D was accepted to Penn and denied to Yale and Brown with the following scores - SAT 2150, SAT II, Math - 710, Literature - 700 and ACT 31. She was also accepted to Tulane, Bowdoin, Tufts, Brandeis, Vassar, Williams and Middlebury.</p>