URM

@planner03 Can you tell us what the source of your data is?

@ashleymisawesome What exactly is your gripe? You got into Chicago “with so many B’s as an unhooked Asian.”
It seems that you benefited from holistic admission. What about all of the 4.0 students, URM and otherwise that were rejected? Did you take someone’s spot? Is it okay when the system benefits you?

I said it was a small boost, a much smaller one than most people are willing to admit. But where does this data on private colleges come from? I’ve been looking for it, but I can’t find those stats. @ashleymisawesome

Data on UCS: http://opa.berkeley.edu/uc-berkeley-fall-enrollment-data

@sweatearl Data on private colleges: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-adv-asian-race-tutoring-20150222-story.html (Princeton conducted a study to confirm that “African Americans received a “bonus” of 230 points.”)

@sweatearl If you scroll down to average SAT scores by ethnicity, you will see my point: https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2016/9/14/class-2020-survey/

@planner03 No, I got into Chicago because I had a 35 ACT/36 superscore and tied for number one in my class at a top 10 school in Palo Alto, Bay Area. I got one b+ on my midyear report after taking 14 AP classes. I AM a 4.0 student; in fact a 4.4 student. If you’re going to attack my credentials, you must know that I made my own iPhone mobile app startup, was the president of multiple school clubs, won national MUN/ Journalism awards, interned with the Congresswoman and CA state assembly, and was published in state magazines for my three year work with a grass roots organization that trains women for public office.

Please do entertain me on where the “system” benefited me. At least I debate with real statistics from reliable sources and facts outside of assumptions and anonymous posts on college confidential.

I would like to see where you got your data from? @planner03 Since you claim that the 2.5% African American rate is unrelated to the fact that affirmative action is illegal in California. Note that I also said that I AGREE with the concept of Affirmative Action. I have always supported diversity in classrooms because it does stimulate intellectual introspection and conversation. But claiming that Affirmative Action does not exist among private top colleges does nothing to help the OP or anything. Attacking me as an Asian applicant and telling me that I “benefited from holistic applications” is simply absurd given that you are a parent and should be more mature than to attack a high school senior from behind a computer screen for disagreeing with your perspective. If you were a student applying, this would be a different conversation.

I do agree with affirmative action. I would have never got the opportunities and internships that I have if I never had access to the resources. I would have never have received the scores I receive if I didn’t attend SAT tutoring. This is WHY holistic and affirmative action is SOOO important to the college admissions process. It levels the playing field, which is incredibly important.

Also, I’m not a moderator, but I can say that this thread had ran off topic after I was personally attacked of “taking someone’s spot.” Can someone else please re-focus the objective of this thread back to the OP’s questions.

@planner03

When you say “It seems that you benefited from holistic admission” to the student, implying that this holistic approach disadvantaged the “4.0 URM and otherwise that were rejected,” I became surprised.

I usually don’t comment, but I was shocked when I read your comment. It seems really petty of you to tell someone who does not agree with you that they took someone’s else’s spot and that they benefited from an “unfair system,” pointing to “the 4.0 URM’s that were rejected.” I have no idea where you got “these 4.0 URM’s” that were rejected because of the student above. Maybe “these 4.0 URMs” were rejected because of test scores, extracurriculars, essays, etc.

If a 4.0 URM is rejected, it’s not because of another student that “took their spot.” The student above did not “benefit from the system,” as they aren’t even URM, they are ORM. They benefited from their own hard work against a system that doesn’t benefit them, and THEY AREN’T EVEN COMPLAINING about the system as you are. And if a URM is rejected, it is their own qualifications, as URMs do face an advantage, not matter how significant the advantage may be. I read these threads for insight and for absorbing respectful debate. To personally attack another student’s qualifications is beyond the scope of respectful debate. You should at least try to debate with stats and rationale, which the student above did.

@AshleyMisAwesome those studies don’t take into account things like bring low income, first generation, and being a recruited athlete, and many other things. I’ve read that article before. I’m not saying that being a certain race gives you no boost, I’ve saying it gives you a smaller boost than most people think

@AshleyMisAwesome Is this not a quote of yours?

Now you are saying you never had Bs, um, okay.

Your reading it selective-I never accused you of anything, I asked you a question. A rhetorical question actually.

And I never attacked you, but evidently you have no problem launching personal attacks.

@ivygrasper101 You opened an account just to berate me? I’m flattered. You also seem to be suffering from selective reading.

To answer the question of the thread, try the best you can. Harvard is very unpredictable, and so are the ivy leagues. Don’t be discouraged and embrace the little bits of advantage you do have! (:

To clear everything up, nobody “takes someone’s spot” because nobody is entitled to a spot, even with hooks like 4.0 or URM, especially not at such an elite college. All you can do is try your best and hope for the best. It’s very unpredictable!

Closing thread; it has run its course.