<p>My sister and I are having problems with our counselor in the sense of she really does not help any African-Americans in dire need of changing their classes or getting scholarships for that matter. We have to go to other counselors secretively to get done what we need for academic success. My brother just graduated from high school and he did not get much help from the school as far as getting scholarships, but luckily got into Clark-Atlanta University and got a tuition scholarship last minute. My sister will be a junior next year in high school and I a sophmore. I was wondering if I keep up with my grades and extracurriculars, could I get into schools like Howard University or Duke without trying to add extra stuff like sports I do not want to do? Could I get some scholarships?</p>
<p>1st semester:
Economics: A
9th Physics: A
Accelerated Math II: A
9th Mile Lit: A
Spanish III IB: B</p>
<p>2nd semester:
Government: A
9th Physics: A
Accelerated Math II: A
9th Mile Lit: A
Spanish III IB: A</p>
<p>Extracurriculars:
The Stewart Foundation (an organization where we do community service projects in Atlanta)
STARS (an organization where we do different community service activites)
AFJROTC
Chorus
Girl Scouts</p>
<p>GPA: 4.0625
Female</p>
<p>I think you have a chance but its hard to say since there are other stats</p>
<p>Are any of your classes honors? You should be aiming for the most rigorous classes available at your school including honors and Ap’s. Have either you or your sister taken any standardized tests yet (PSAT, SAT, ACT, PLAN)?</p>
<p>I am on the IB track. I take PDP and IB classes. Next year I will do the PSAT and have two IB classes, one AP, and the rest PDP.</p>
<p>Make sure you are taking Higher Level IBs.</p>
<p>We were in similar situation as your self and your siblings, however, I felt my son’s dilemma was due to his counselor’s relative inexperience in the counseling field and not related to her bias against AA’s. His counselor had not worked with any students who had an interest in applying to private schools so I decided to intercede on my son’s behalf. We met with her the summer before my son’s senior year in high school and explained his interest in applying to several private schools including Rice, Vanderbilt, Emory, Case Western, U Chicago, etc. The application process for these schools was quite daunting so I assisted my son in lining up recommendations, essays, application fees, transcripts, etc. His counselor played a huge role as we both learned to navigate this process together. I communicated with her by phone in person and by e-mail throughout the entire process. Our relationship could not have been better after our face to face meeting.</p>
<p>In our case financial aid was crucial in our decision process which is why we cast a wide net applying to nine different schools. We simply did not want to incur $60K - $70K in debt as some of his acceptances would have required. Only two of the private schools my son was accepted to offered an acceptable financial aid package. Our state school also offered a very solid FA package. He ended up going to Cornell after applying at the last minute after having a 1 hour conversation with a Cornell alumna. </p>
<p>Throughout all of this my son’s counselor became a very strong advocate. His high school offers one scholarship sponsored by a former industry executive worth $60K ($15K per year). Due in part to her strong support my son was awarded that scholarship which means that my son will graduate debt free from college.</p>
<p>The moral of all of this is to encourage your parents to get involved with your discussions with your counselor. If necessary the issue may require escalation to your principal and may require a change in your counselor.</p>
<p>If your parents can’t get involved, though, I urge you to ask more targeted questions here on CollegeConfidential and to people you may know in real life who have had experience with applying to private colleges. This website is a repository of useful information for students applying to college, and it can greatly help with demystifying the process.</p>