URM at top notch schools

<p>Hey guys, I am a black/native american who's curious about cc's thoughts on my admissions chances. I applied to some pretty competitive schools. They include Oberlin College (Lagacy), Swarthmore College (top prospective member of T&F team), WUSTL, Dartmouth College, Upenn, Cornell University, and Davidson College (recruited for track). I have roughly a 90 average (I think it ended up being a 3.7) and 31 score on the ACT. Ton of community service. Team captain and MIP of track and field team. Editor of School paper. Member of ultimate frisbee and pingpong team. Urban Scholar. Leader in youth group (been on three international missions trips). Played a couple years of Basketball. NHS.etc etc you get the gist. Also even objectively, I am a great writer. Essays were good. Should have decent recs. So if you guys would chance me or just offer some insight I'd greatly appreciate it! Thanks in advance!</p>

<p>It is: legacy. </p>

<p>Native American (as well as Afr-American) and 31 ACT = yep, you’re in at Dartmouth, Penn, Cornell and probably all the rest. Congrats.</p>

<p>P.S. assuming you have no skeletons in the closet–be smart this last semester.</p>

<p>Yeah, I know I accidentally misspelled it. I wish I was as confident in myself as you are! I really really hope that your prediction is spot on. I think at Dartmouth and Penn I have a 50/50 chance.</p>

<p>Believe me, I do not throw out such confidence lightly. But the current trend in admissions is a deep desire to up the number of Native American students. Dartmouth’s original founders specifically mention (in the charter?) their goal of providing education to NAs. </p>

<p>Assuming you have great recs, and a clean ‘permanent record’, they will love you.</p>

<p>Native American? As in an official member of a tribe? Or as in that “I got that Indian in me” claim many African Americans like to make…? (: o_O</p>

<p>Interesting you should ask, my great grandfather was Native American, making me one eighth native american. I am not a registered member of a tribe because my mother for lack of better words, did not really care. So I have been trying to find out more information through sites such as ancestry.com but no luck. “I got that indian in me” lol that’s great</p>

<p>Haha, well good luck with admissions and finding out more information on your ancestry. I think you stand a good chance at the schools you applied to. (that sentence sounds grammatically weird when I read it back to myself, but whatever)</p>

<p>There is a good chance that some schools will ask for your tribe member number if you say your are NA.</p>

<p>Yeah like Dartmouth sent me this “optional” sheet that basically is a follow up on my NA heritage. I looked at the sheet and had no idea what to put considering I know nada. Hopefully that won’t come back to bite me, but if it does, I suppose that is fair.</p>

<p>some school’s apps let you list your native american heritage, but you can check a box or something that says you are not registered or officially affiliated with a tribe.</p>

<p>you can still be NA without having a tribe number (well obvies but you know)</p>

<p>That makes sense, well on the commonapp, it asked specifically which tribe and basically did eenie meenie minie moe (no idea how to spell that) and I think I ended up on Cherokee lol. Yeah and according to ancestry.com, my great grandfather did not exist…hmmmmm</p>

<p>ancestry isnt accurate…</p>

<p>don’t you know which tribe? why would you have to randomly choose?</p>

<p>Wait, so you just listed a random tribe??</p>

<p>Yes I did. My grandmother was a raging alcoholic and my mom doesnt exactly know who her father is. So my mother did a DNA test to figure it out. My maternal great grand father is the NA. But we know very little about him besides the fact that he is NA. Also there is no one in the family knowledgeable enough/old enough to give us really accurate information, therefore, I just chose a tribe. Slightly misleading? probably. But I just did not know what to put down in all honesty. I’ve always considered myself a little bit NA so i put it down.</p>

<p>I think I am only 1% Native American, does it still counts ???</p>

<p>it’s more than slightly. you shouldn’t have put it down at all. my great grandmother is half native american but i dont put it down… you could get in serious trouble</p>

<p>theleakers^ no</p>

<p>Ah…okay…well I’m 1/8 too but as of now I’m unregistered, so I wouldn’t dare check it off on college apps.
But, what’s done is done.</p>

<p>Yes I did. I guess my grandmother did not talk about him much? Makes sense to some degree considering she was an alcoholic and suffered from Alzheimer’s early. No one in my family is old enough or knowledgeable enough to really have any accurate information on him (besides everyone keeps telling me he was NA), but I’ve seen a picture of him and he looks NA. I’ve always considered myself a little bit NA so I just put it down and picked a tribe. I know that is a tad misleading, but I did not think it was to big of a deal.</p>

<p>^internet is being weird-thats a repeat
Could I really get into serious trouble? It’s not like I am applying for any NA scholarships. I honestly am/ think I am NA, so I put it down. One eighth isn’t a ton but it’s significant. I guess what could get me into trouble is that I guessed a tribe, but do you think that the check with the tribe to make sure you are telling the truth? idk. I mean I understand that to some degree it was a mistake guessing a tribe, but it asked and did not have a “I don’t know” option so i picked one. If it is a big deal, it certainly shouldn’t be, since I am honestly NA (as far as I know)</p>

<p>it could get you in trouble because you have no proof.
usually people who mark down a tribe have parents who are significantly NA or grandparents. you have to know your history.</p>