(kinda) average black student, where do i apply??

College Search & Selection
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<p>im a rising senior in chicago and i have noo idea where to apply. my parents say i pretty much have to attend UIUC unless i can find a good school (if not better) and get some good scholarship money there. but the problem is, i hate UIUC and refuse to go there, and i'm not thaaat great of a student. </p>

<p>i have a 3.4 weighted, and prolly like a 2.6-2.9 (eek) unweighted GPA. freshman year i was taking all honors sophomore classes and had a 3.9 but then soph. year as i took all honors junior classes and one AP i experienced a bit of hardship and my grades slipped and then i dropped to about a 3.6 and then a 3.2, but junior year i slacked and took all regular classes since i had already reached my credits needed for graduation and raised it to a 3.4.
i took the ACT April 26th and got a 30 with no studying so i think i'll take it again and study this time, and get a 32 hopefully. i got a 196 on my PSAT. i have practically 0 extracurricular activities.</p>

<p>i'd like a school with a decent business program, preferrably in the south or the west (read: anyplace warmer than chicago), and at least a liiitle bit diverse wouldnt hurt. not an HBCU, though. any suggestions?</p>

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<p>look into the UC system (university of california). berkeley is probably out of your reach, but you could try ucsd, uc irvine, uc davis, or a number of other good schools in the system</p>

<p>you could also try to reach for the college of william and mary</p>

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<p>william is out of state for him. might as well apply to UVA instead</p>

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<p>You're not an "average" black student with those kind of scores that probably put you in the 99th percentile for black students.</p>

<p>Your grades, though, indicate that you are an underperformer academically even though, sadly, your grades still are far above average for black students.</p>

<p>If you check the college board site and look in the research area, which I think is in the counselors' section, you can find information that shows SAT scores by race and gender, which will give you an idea of how well you're doing compared with most black students.</p>

<p>If you are male, that's a big plus as there are far more black females than black males who are graduating from high school and have good scores and the kind of grades and curriculum that indicate they could do the work at a 4-year college.</p>

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<p>thanks for the replies. i'm a girl. i just feel kinda average compared to the people on this board, and i don't really know what kinda schools would accept me that are better academically than UIUC.</p>

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<p>um, first of all, stop comparing yourself to people on this board. make no decisions based on stuff you read on this board.
try uchicago?</p>

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<p>Nice ACT scores.</p>

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<p>If you're considering Big 10 consider Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin. You'd have decent chances for merit aid at both. Your PSAT scores would qualify you for a National Achievement Scholarship. What will decide whether you get the scholarship will be your sending in the National Achievement application in by the deadline (You'll probably get this from your school in late Sept.) . You'll also have to send them SAT scores, I believe. I'm not sure that they accept ACT scores.</p>

<p>In addition, you'll need to have a certain unweighted gpa, which I think may be 3.5, but I'm not sure. I am virtually sure, however, that they look at your first semester senior year marks, so don't slack off.</p>

<p>What are you planning to major in?</p>

<p>Other good colleges that you have decent chances at are places like Northwestern (but it gives only need-based aid), Grinnell (where you might qualify for merit aid), Wesleyan (It gives only need-based aid), Oberlin (It has need-based aid and possibly some merit aid. Check their web site). You also might qualify for merit aid at Carnegie Mellon. </p>

<p>What do you plan to major in? What AP courses have you taken?</p>

<p>What do you do with your spare time? I am wondering if you really do have 0 ECs or if you're not counting activities like church, working, community activities, taking care of younger sibs, etc. Colleges will count those activities as if they are ECs.</p>

<p>If you really do have no ECs, you need to get some now. Get a job - any job will help you with college admissions, and also will help you learn more about the world and your own talents and interests. </p>

<p>You also could do volunteer work. Check with your local volunteer clearinghouse or call a place like the Boys and Girls Clubs and offer your services</p>

<p>I don't think that it will help you to raise your ACT. What will hurt you in college admissions will be #1 your grades, which seem to reflect a lack of motivation, something that colleges regard poorly because h.s. gpa is the best predictor of college gpa; #2 your lack of ECs.</p>

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<p>i'm undecided on my major right now but it will most likely be in some business related field, maybe finance. i've only taken AP Biology and i bombed the class but i somehow managed to get a 3 on the test. i just take tests really good, and if i wasnt so lazy about my homework i would have straight A's. i'm working on that for senior year, but i guess its a little late. i go to one of the top (2nd?) schools in the city, if that counts for anything. as far as EC's go, i'm a part of Jack and Jill so of course i have a little volunteer experience behind me, i'm in a church ministry, and i've had a couple of jobs so far, but in school the only thing i am a part of is the African American Culture Club. need-based aid will do me no good because my parents make too much money to qualify for good aid, but we don't have enough to send both me and my 2 older brothers to school and not be financially burdened. all my friends (who are black as well) tell me colleges will be falling all over me since i have a 30 but i don't know. i really don't want to stay in the state, so i just gotta pray i get some merit money somewhere.</p>

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<p>not to sound a bit harsh but you're kinda out of reach to get merit aid, most merit aid is given out on the basis of gpa and test scores, and her gpa is a bit lacking. MY advice would be to apply to a LAC, in the northeast, there are plenty to choose from. Why would you not want to go to UIUC, its a good school?</p>

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<p>dang thats the kinda answer i didn't want to hear. i figured test scores might have been good enough alone. i don't want to go to uiuc because my entire family went/is going there, i don't like the campus, i hate the weather, 40% of my senior class and every senior class before me will be there, it's surrounded by 50 miles of cornfield on all sides, as you can see i have a lot of reasons none of which are too major though i guess. my parents would never let me go to a small LAC really they have their minds set that i can get into schools like Rice or Stanford or the like and i definitely can't. guess i'm gonna end up in champaign <em>sigh</em></p>

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<p>yeah sorry but that GPA bites</p>

<p>and you do NOT have next to no ECs. you have a lot!</p>

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<p>"40% of my senior class and every senior class before me will be there"</p>

<p>-I hear this about U of I all the time from people in my school.</p>

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<p>I don't think UVA is out of the question. We have black friends whose son got in with a gpa in the low 3's and an SAT score of high 1100's (don't know how that compares with a 30 on the ACT). They really are trying to diversify the student body.</p>

<p>You may be able to find out the average stats for admitted minority students at UVA on their website, or call them.</p>

<p>Someplace like University of Richmond might be worth a look also. It's a great school and might be trying to up its minorities as well.</p>

<p>Check out James Madison University as well. It's not as hard to get in, but has a rapidly improving reputation, plus it's in the mountains in a beautiful part of Virginia.</p>

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<p>thanks ya'll. any more suggestions?</p>

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<p>yea i don't think UVA makes it that hard for URMs to get in if they are in-state. a black girl at my school got in with a 3.5 weighted GPA but a pretty easy courseload, only 1 AP junior year and i think 3 senior year... idk what her SAT scores were though...</p>

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<p>Well, as good as it may be, UVA is still a state school....</p>

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<p>Dude, I would recommend Georgetown's business school, MSB. Supposedly, its the easiest school to get into at G-town and your minority status will of course play a significant role! Im an African-American male as well and I;ll be at G-town this fall, it's an awesome school and I've spoken with some of the minority students attending this fall and they aren't very "stellar", but I think G-town is attmepting to diversify. Btw, it's a little warmer than Chicago! Best of Luck.</p>

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<p>Yea in-state equals total different situation, out of state no matter what race its still difficult to get in. The best thing I think the applicant can do is go to UIUC for two years and then transfer, because shes lookings for a large school that will not cost her alot of money, and the best thing she'll probably be able to get is her State U, Which is not that bad,if her gpa were a bit higher she could get into alot more places which would be offering to throw money at her. The way it stands she could be accepted into many places just the merit aid wouldn't come pouring in. </p>

<p>one question that hasn't been is asked, is how is you're families financials, maybe you could get alot of need based aid?</p>

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<p>she said she wouldn't qualify for financial aid (although, with two brothers in college as well, are you sure about that?) </p>

<p>i would say, apply to good state schools in CA, UVa, UNC, etc. ; it can't hurt to apply and if your parents are willing to pay what they would be paying anyway at UIUC, you can make up the difference in loans, jobs, and outside scholarships. Work your ass off first semester of senior year, show the schools that you're serious about doing well. Apply to UIUC as a fallback, and you can always do well there and transfer out after a year. </p>

<p>Good luck!</p>