<p>These chances threads are usually unsystematic and based on hearsay, but sometimes people shed insights that are helpful. The most helpful information that can be offered is whether you know anyone who was accepted or rejected to the schools to which my brother is applying, and how they compared in terms of stats. So here are my brother's stats:</p>
<p>Class Rank: 25/393 (Public high school in Long Island, NY)
GPA: 94 unweighted, 97 weighted
SAT: 650V, 660M, 620W (expects writing score to increase significantly and the M/V composite to increase the second time around)
Will take the Biology and Spanish with Listening Subject tests in November. Expects high scores in both.</p>
<p>Course load: Rigorous; has taken about 80% of the AP's offered. Currently, as a senior, he is in AP Bio, AP CalcAB, and AP Gov/Econ. </p>
<p>Extracurriculars: Washington, D.C. internship with the Earth Day Network this past summer; Debate team founder who is in the process of getting his school recognized by the National Forensic League; has been the sports editor of his previous high school newspaper (in Miami, FL), is current editor in chief for his school's online newspaper. </p>
<p>He is also living under adverse conditions; my father is incapacitated and unemployed. Are these weak EC's going to be detrimental in spite of this?</p>
<p>Schools in which he is interested:</p>
<p>SUNY- New Paltz (safety)
Earlham College
CUNY-Hunter Honors College
Kenyon College
Oberlin College
Whitman College
Pitzer College
Grinnell College
Vassar College </p>
<p>Considering: Amherst as a high reach (considering their efforts to recruit low-income students), Bard, Colby, and Hamilton.</p>
<p>would he be okay attending suny? if not tell him to find some more safeties that he actually likes cause most schools on his list are reaches with the exception of earlham being a match. amherst does try to recruit low-income students but that does not mean they will accept those well below their standards. i would suggest him to add a few more matches/safeties like denison, knox, lawrence, beliot or wooster.</p>
<p>I am aware that these are difficult schools to get into with his stats, but we were hoping that his being a Hispanic male would help. We selected these schools mainly on the premise that they are pushing for diversity; the Midwestern schools in particular seem to have a lot of trouble recruiting Hispanics. Many of these list “Minority Status” as an “Important” admissions consideration in the Common Data Set. </p>
<p>His SAT, especially if he gets a higher score upon retaking it, is within the middle 50% of most of these schools. Hunter Honors automatically defers rejects to Hunter College admissions, so that can also be seen as a safety.</p>
<p>I don’t think the negative tone of your response was called for.</p>
<p>My hunch is that him being a Hispanic male will help - a lot. That being said, will he be happy really being in the minority at school? Some kids care and some don’t - it’s individual, but something to consider.</p>
<p>I’d say good chance at Pitzer, especially if he demonstrates interest. And regarding the living situation, he should include an addendum (or somehow include it in the essay or make sure it’s discussed elsewhere, perhaps in the guidance counselor’s recommendation) describing the situation.</p>
<p>Accepted everywhere with financial aid. I only see CUNY-Honors college being slightly difficult to get into. Have fun at the college of your choice. Best of luck in the admissions process.</p>
<p>His scores are OK but there’s room for improvement; low-income and minority status are good. I’d say that Amherst is a high reach if only because it appears he went to a decent Long Island public school – no points for geographic diversity and his lower scores aren’t very excusable. Still, he has a reasonable chance at all the other schools listed and Amherst is a possibility as long as he does well on his essays.</p>
<p>Contrary to collegeprep11’s comments, Amherst does consider a student’s scores in the context of their educational and economic background. </p>
<p>He should definitely consider Lawrence University – it’s a really nice LAC.</p>
<p>Rutgers Hopeful-- I think your lack of a substantive reply suggested to GApYear’d that you were being sarcastic. In any case, I don’t think that you put much serious thought in what you said, as most of the LAC’s I listed are much harder to get into than Hunter Honors.</p>
<p>GapYear’d, thanks for the advice. He’s going to take the SAT again this Saturday, and we expect strong essays/recommendations.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about Rutgers.. he just tells everyone they will get in everywhere. I don’t think he even knows most of the schools OP is applying to, especially the LACs, since Hunter Honors is not the hardest school on the list. Rutgers is kind of like the CC resident tooth fairy!</p>
<p>i never said these schools do not consider urm status. for an urm to have a decent change at a particular school, (s)he must have stats above the school’s average. to have that same chance for white and asian would mean to have stats above the school’s 75th percentile. i apologize if i said something to offend you but urms should be more realistic when applying to selective schools. being a hispanic from nyc will not be as attractive for a school as that from west virginia or idaho. there’s only so much urm status can help, you have to show the school what you can contribute to their community besides making them more racially diverse. your chance will increase dramatically if you can get your scores to be closer to 700 or at least try to get one over 700. your class rank already looks good. if you need fin aid also look at the posse program in addition to pell grant. good luck.</p>