<p>I am hispanic and very proud of it. i just recieved likely letters from UPenn and Cornell and, because i knew people would talk about it, i tried to keep the news to myself but word got out and i naturally started hearing "its just 'cause he's hispanic" and the stories of the 2400 SAT students who got denied last year and that i didnt deserve to get in. i knew id hear these things and still get frustrated every time i hear them but it started getting to me. i know colleges take in to account my ethnicity but the thought of me getting into a college just because my parents aren't from here made me uneasy. its not something i would be proud of (the fact that i would undeservedly get accepted to a school that way). then i also started thinking about the other things everyone hears about the college application proccess; colleges look for well rounded students that would be a good addition to their student body and that this doesnt just mean scores. so then i thought back to the stories of the 2400 SAT kids who got denied last year, maybe it was because thats all they had. </p>
<p>Here's a brief summary of my stats/info:
SAT: 2190
ACT: 32
U GPA: 4.0/4.0
W GPA: 4.69/4.75
National Merit Scholarship Commended
National Honor Society
National Hispanic Recognition Program Scholar
PA Math League competitor
Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) competition
Mentor in 2 youth programs
part time job
went on a mission trip to the dominican republic this past fall
local group organizer for the Food Bank
Student council vice president, 100+ hrs community service, Varsity lacrosse (4 years), really good essays and recs</p>
<p>i know im not the most incredible applicant ever by any means but would you say i got in just because im hispanic? like i said, im sure it was considered but what i would hope is that it is just one thing they looked at in my application and not what defined it. </p>
<p>I was just looking for some opinions on the matter, whether you agree with me or not. thanks.</p>
<p>I looked at your record without thinking twice about your ethnic background.</p>
<p>You have a very strong academic record.</p>
<p>Take pride in your success. Avoid those who lessen your achievement.</p>
<p>Focus on doing as well as you can in college. Move on, and don’t spoil your impressive high school achievements by drawing negative energy from anyone, or by feeling that you need to explain or apologize for your successes.</p>
<p>^agreed, being hispanic probably helped you, but it wasn’t the main reason you were accepted/received a likely letter. Maybe it was your essays, your story, your really nice academics, dedication to EC’s, watever; But the admissions committee saw something that those guys just don’t see and thats fine. Who’s opinion matters more, the admissions committee or there’s? Congrats on Cornell and Penn, and good luck with the rest of your decisions :)</p>
<p>Race helps without a doubt. It’s evident at my school looking at who has been receiving likely letters. Not one Asian/White applicant has gotten likely letters, and we are by no means a weak school (ex: multiple to Yale/Stanford last year, plus MIT, Wharton, and Cambridge already this year).</p>
<p>You would of had a very good chance getting into those schools regardless of race. Being Hispanic with your stats basically guaranteed admission. To be honest, I doubt you’ll get a single rejection, HYPS inclusive, assuming you applied to those schools.</p>
<p>I would say you are a strong applicant, but being a Hispanic, that obviously raises your chances to get into the top schools. Positive discrimination… if I go and settle in the US as an academic (I hope so) then my children will not benefit from anything like that, having Nordic European ancestry. They will be the first generation born in the US, but my passport and ethnicity says I belong to the majority, not the minority, even if I will be just another immigrant of some short. (Although I think positive discrimination will continue even when there will be no such thing like Caucasian majority, which day is, indeed, getting closer and closer.).</p>
<p>Anyway, you have to accept, that your origins definitely raise your chances, but you are a strong applicant even without them; even if your SAT is a bit low. I would say that you could have a good chance getting into Cornell and UPenn, if you were Caucasian (well, many Hispanics are Caucasians, in fact), but I’m not sure about getting into HYP. But getting into Cornell or UPenn is a fantastic thing, needless to say!</p>
<p>A similar thing happened to me in high school, OP, and it was really frustrating and made me really insecure. But once I got to college, no one ever even implied that my ethnicity had anything to do with being accepted, and I’m doing just fine here. Try to ignore them. They don’t know what they’re talking about.</p>
<p>Not gonna lie. Your ethnicity probably helped you and raised your chances in the process.</p>
<p>But it is by no means the “only thing” that got you in. If you weren’t worthy of Cornell then you wouldn’t have been accepted. From what I’ve observed over the years, being a URM means you may be accepted with lower numerical stats, but those that get in seem to have amazing EC’s, recs and whatever else that gets you in.</p>
<p>Huge chance you would’ve gotten in even if you were white/asian. But the likely letters were probably because of ethnicity. I mean nothing really really stands out.</p>
<p>Chances are, you would’ve gotten in regardless. Your essay probably impressed them, as well as your community service and GPA. I mean, yeah there’s kids with 2400s, but who cares after a certain point? I mean you have the ability to study the SAT inside and out and colleges know that. I think they recognize a certain cutoff in determining how good of a student/smart of an individual you are and then make a decision based on character, leadership, passions pursued while in school, etc. Really a whole lot of it is subjective. You impressed them beyond the Hispanic part, that just helped. </p>
<p>And to those who say “its because you’re hispanic” who gives a **** they can practice their bigotry in their state university while you’re in Penn.</p>
<p>Please don’t listen to those haters. You have every right to be at those schools! At selective colleges, any minor or major detail can make the difference in who gets accepted, and its hard to predict if any specific thing got you in. Sure, they maybe noticed you were Hispanic, but they never would’ve accepted you if they didn’t think you’d succeed in their school and were as competitive as other applicants. I say this because I was accepted to Cornell and WashU with a 2080 SAT, 31 ACT, and I’m in your same boat man!</p>
<p>Likely letters aren’t the same as admission. I think likely letters are unique to selected groups of candidates, but don’t necessarily reflect a difference in admissions.</p>
<p>Likely letters ARE the same as early admission acceptance (at least the two my son received). Of course they are directed to “selected groups of candidates” – the ones the schools think will have many other outstanding offers from competing schools! They are not necessarily directed at minority students, although minority students with top stats are in high demand. Others, like my son, may get the nod due to a combination of gender, geographic location and exceptional stats and activities. Maybe 2 out of the 4 will get you rejected, and 3 out of the 4 will get you in, but only 4 out of the 4 will get you a likely letter.</p>
<p>I meant the kids with likely letters (which I agree are NOT just for minorities), know early, but don’t necessarily reflect a different selection criteria or process. Getting a LIKELY letter because you are Hispanic, is not the same as getting IN because you are Hispanic.Sometimes it’s an invite to m event you need to prepare for before the rest of the admissions come.</p>
<p>The ones I know of where just a week or so early, not several months like EA.</p>
<p>Being Hispanic significantly increased your admission chance. No doubt about it. Your profile is still great- it would have given you a shot (but not a great one) at getting in without the race card, but being Hispanic sealed the deal. </p>
<p>Totally disagree with those saying the outcome would have been the same without the race. I’d estimate that 1/10 applicants would have gotten in to Upenn with a profile like this. </p>
<p>Don’t let this offend you though- either way you look at it, you are a qualified applicant. Many qualified applicants get denied just because so many apply. The race card may have pushed you in, but even without it, you sound like Cornell or UPenn material (whether or not they would have accepted your application as a non-URM).</p>