<p>Please tell me my chances. I’m a friend of Runner8491 applying to penn.
GPA out of a 100
9th:93.6
10th:94.2
11th:97.8
12th:95.7
I’m taking the most rigorous courseload that is offered to me.</p>
<p>Senior Year Courses
AP Calculus
AP US History
AP English
Honors Theology IV
Honors French IV
Honors Physics</p>
<p>2 college courses(Intro Philosophy and Intermeditate Spanish. I have taken 3 college coures so far.</p>
<p>SATs
SAT:1320
USHis: 750
Writing:650
Chemistry: 700
Math IIC:600</p>
<p>ECs
Mock Trial/Debate-10 11 12
African American Club(President)- 10 11 12
Model UN(Ambassodor from Great Britain) - 10 11 12
Vice President of senior class-12
Peer Adviser to Freshman-12
Newspaper(Editor in Chief)-11 12
Volunteer at local hosptial- 100hrs
FBLA- 10 11 12
Track and Field (Letterman)- 9 10 11 12
National Honor Society- 11 12
Tutor at local Literacy School
Community Service Corps- 10 11 12 </p>
<p>I want to major in Political Science. I am an African-American that lives in a disadvantaged area. I also have several Academic Awards from school.
My HOOK: a 2wk. study abroad program in France.</p>
<p>What kind of study abroad program sent your to France? Did you have to pay for it or was it some kind of special nomination/scholarship? Somehow, living in a disadvantaged area and studying abroad in France don't add up (unless it was some kind of special program for which you were nominated and cost you nothing). If you paid for the study abroad program I wouldn't count it as a hook. Did you re-take your SATs yesterday? I think you have a decent chance.</p>
<p>affirmative action makes me furious. without it you probably wouldn't have any chance of getting in. since unfortunately that's not the case, you probably will get in</p>
<p>I don't think you understand affirmative action. In an affirmatie action situation, a potential black student is as qualified as a white student and the black student receives preference. Affirmatie action doesn't admit black students with lower scores. </p>
<p>I think you've confused AA with the desire of top colleges to diversify their campuses...Penn is not an AA school. Penn is private. Penn is free to make it's own decisions on admissions. Penn has decided that it finds great value in working to mirror the raical composition of general society. Therefore, Penn seeks to admit a greater number of african american students.....and often judges them in their own pool, as opposed to judging them against white candidates (who are also judged in their own pool - same for Asians). What about this system makes you angry?</p>
<p>I agree 100% with anon. If all races are equal, shouldn't they all have the same preference? Every applicant should be held to the same standard.</p>
<p>It doesn't really matter what Penn calls it; there is a clear double standard for white applicants and black applicants.</p>
<p>I don't believe in judging people "within their own pool [race]". I understand that those who are disadvantaged should be given consideration for this fact alone, but I don't think that ANYONE on a campus benefits from the simple presence of varied races.</p>
<p>I come from a wealthy community, where there are one or two black students in each graduating class. They are given extra consideration because of their skin color, even though the supposed reason is that they diversify the campus. They don't - they have the same beliefs as I do, the same attitudes, worse grades, and a different skin color.</p>
<p>Decades ago AA was created to "pay back" African Americans for previous injustices. The black kid in my grade driving a Mercedes to school doesn't need to be paid back for anything.</p>
<p>Momsdream....that post was incredibly naive. If you think schools don't participate in affirmative action because theyre not forced to you are horribly wrong. But that's a separate argument. Being a member of a minority (particularly Blacks) is not just a tip factor...you can throw on about 150 points to your SAT score because of it. I believe in affirmative action based on socio-economic status. This is a good way to lower the poverty level; unfortunately it's not how affirmative action works. To actually answer the poster, your chances would be decent if you were White, they're excellent because you're not. Your hook is weak but the rest of the EC's are very impressive. I'd be surprised if you didn't get in.</p>
<p>i can definitely feel anon's anger...i live in a wealthy neighborhood too with "minorities" who are richer than me...why the hell do they get special preference?? i can understand that...however, affirmative action SHOULD be based on what ilovepoker said - socio-economic status....before i moved here, i used to live in a pretty average urban area....anon u really cant compare kids from that kind of area to a wealthy suburb...the diadvantaged urban schools dont have the advanced classes and extracurricular activities that other schools have....and the fact that theyre in the city, students often have to catch a bus and get home and not have the opportunity to participate in anything...thats what the real affirmative action was meant to do - equalize the two scenarios...</p>
<p>Did u know that african-americans from the highest income brackets and white people from the lowest income brackets have the same rejection rates when going for jobs? Affirmative action is meant for racial discrimination, not economic discrimination.</p>
<p>I don't buy that statistic for a second. It's a complete red herring...african americans from higher income rates will be going for better jobs which are more competitive, while lower-class whites will be holding lower-skill jobs. That's just a stupid, irrelevant point.</p>
<p>I'm glad you are all seeking higher education...because you're demonstrating ignorance today. Why don't you all write to Penn and let them know that you disagree with the methodoligies they, and all other top schools, are using to build their campus communities. Perhaps you can all make solid suggestions on how they might achieve their goal of building a campus community to mirror the real world....... Or, maybe you disagree with that philosophy and think that the real world isn't important....what's important is that you get to throw a tantrum in the middle of Market Street because you don't think it's fair. When African Americans live in wealthy communities they are NOT the same as you.....they still have very different experiences. Perhaps Penn will help you all to learn about some of that...perhaps not. Anyway, I wonder why you are all applyiong to Penn since you disagree with what they want for their campus. </p>
<p>Penn WANTS more blacks on their campus...period. If that angers you....don't apply.</p>
<p>Also, there are many white applicants who won't consider a school that isn't diverse in the racial composition of the campus. Diversity is very attractive to many. Diversity sells! Colleges are invested in their diversity goals because they, smart people that they are, understand the value of raical diversity. </p>
<p>Since there are many mroe poor whites in America than poor blacks, changing the policy to only tip for socioeconomic status would serve only to admit more whites.....so, no, that's not solution....sorry.</p>
<p>Some of you are downright scary - looking to come to Philadelphia for school - but not wanting blacks on campus. Better read up on Quakerism.</p>
<p>"African Americans live in wealthy communities.. are NOT the same as you... they still have very different experiences."</p>
<p>You're right, the black kid that drives the $40k Mercedes to school does have different experiences than me. He hasn't worked as hard as I have, but is benefitting from his skin color. What other experiences has he had that are quite so valuable? He was born in the US, so were his parents, and their parents, and their parents, and their parents. What besides his skin color makes him different form me?</p>
<p>I am not saying that this is what EVERY AA student is like, but it's an obvious fault in the system, and as time progresses (and more and more of these "impoverished blacks" become fifth, sixth, and seventh generation Americans), this fault becomes more obvious.</p>
<p>It is downright racism to pretend that all races are the same, yet at the same time give preference to black applicants. "Since there are many mroe poor whites in America than poor blacks, changing the policy to only tip for socioeconomic status would serve only to admit more whites.....so, no, that's not solution....sorry." What is so inherently good about black people?</p>
<p>Universities should, and do, take into account how much access prospective students had to educational resources. "socioeconomic status" is not what's at issue - it's whether or not the student maximized his opportunities. It seems obvious to me that there are unlucky, exceptional students, who were born in poor families and were thus unable to get the highest SAT scores (after all, SAT scores do most correlate with family income). These people should be given a boost, not the blacks that have coasted on their parents six figure incomes.</p>
<p>To put it simply, I feel that the racism you have habored towards African Americans, alongside your afluent upbringing has given you an ignorant and false perception of the state of the black community.</p>
<p>For every one black kid you do see "driving the 40K benz to school", their are about a million that will never haver the opportunity to see one. From PERSONAL experience I know how the public school system discourages exceptional academic performance by heavily endorsing lower end HBCU's and tech schools whose acceptance standards are so low they're non existent. I have PERSONALLY witnessed countless youths driven astray by the allure of fast money and illicit acts heavily emmanating from their decaying communities. And I can PERSONALLY attest that minorities for the most part do not prepare as early or as extensively as their white counterparts for standard testing or college admission, NOT because they don't care, but because they aren't aware.</p>
<p>The few minorities that do rise above and beyond convention, should be encourage AND celebrated.</p>
<p>"Since there are many more poor whites in America than poor blacks...." </p>
<p>Black people only account for approximately 10% of the population young scrappy, so of course they're less blacks in the poverty sector; they're also less blacks in post secondary institutions, middle income brackets, and high income brackets as well. PLEASE dont compare apples and oranges, I too am deeply concerned about the poverty level in the US, but that was obviously not your motive when you brought it up.</p>
<p>High income African Americans make up so little of the black population, that they are almost negligible. I am there for in full support of Affirmative action as a means of level the playing field YOUR ancestors tilted not too long ago.</p>
<p>"And I can PERSONALLY attest that minorities for the most part do not prepare as early or as extensively as their white counterparts for standard testing or college admission, NOT because they don't care, but because they aren't aware."</p>
<p>Why are they not aware that they should prepare themselves educationally? You answered this question yourself: because their "decaying communities" don't foster this knowledge.</p>
<p>So why not give extra consideration to all people in such communities, regardless of color? High income blacks do make up a small portion of the black population, but they exist, and they are benefiting under the current policy. There's just no reason for that. </p>
<p>which is why we shouldn't even include our race or ethnic backround on the app...its insulting to think that an adcom would choose someone over you because they have darker skin or what not.</p>
<p>I love how we're being accused of being racist when we're the ones who want admissions to be color-blind. I agree the pursuit of diversity on college campuses is a noble one. Just not diversity of skin color. I think diversity of ideology or background or cultural upbringing is far more important than differences in skin color. I believe we've come to a point where as a nation a black person shouldn't be considered different just because they're black. A black person might be considered different for other reasons. Perhaps, he is an excellent pianist or is a communist. I don't care. The point is that what makes us attractive to a university should not be the color of our skin, but the diversity of our talents, opinions, and worldviews. It's truly ironic that charges of racism are being leveled against people who are against affirmative action. In reality, we embrace diversity. It is people who are for affirmative action who are determined to keep America mired down in the idea that discrimination is rampant and minorities need white people's "help." I would say shame on you, but that would be melodramatic. However, it is truly an illogical and unfair criticism.</p>