<p>
[quote]
QUESTION: My dad didn't go to college and my mom went to a local community college. Will that help at all?
[/quote]
oh the irony</p>
<p>Racial diversity is good for the school. It makes the experience better for students who haven't been exposed to anything. A white kid from new england who went to exeter will benefit knowing a hispanic kid from texas. Diversity is also necessary region-wise. Colleges aren't only about giving people a good education, but the experience that will broaden their perspectives.
On paper, my interests might look like a lot of my peers, but my home life, my habits, church, etc, make me uniquely part of a different culture and i think that is why an URM has an advantage over a white if they have similar stats. The perspective we bring is unique.</p>
<p>hahahaha ModernChem, that's incredibly true. So ironic. Think about the implications of that question. Now, imagine someone asking that question 20 years ago. lolz</p>
<p>@monroylobo: I understand. But a poor white kid also brings a unique perspective too.</p>
<p>Haha. I can't believe I didn't see the irony in my own question. But hey, it was 12:16 am! I'm guessing it may help a little bit, though.</p>
<p>Seriously, we need race-blind admissions. It bothers me that race even has checkboxes on applications. I regret not checking Mexican as a 'mistake'. That obviously wouldn't stop people from writing essays about how they felt uneasy in a place full of X race, but whatever.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm too proud to do that. I'm 1/8 or 1/16 Native American, but I felt that since that culture isn't a part of my life, I didn't check the box. I'm not going to cheat the system.</p>
<p>And if other people do cheat the system by checking off a box that doesn't define who they really are and beat me out of a school, so be it. Atleast I have integrity. They can go off and make a lot of money by being corrupt, while I'll be the one actually happy with life.</p>
<p>I've seen some dirty stuff in college admissions. It's such a shame. I feel that wherever I go, I want to have made it there because of my merits alone, not from any arbitrary advantage. I proudly get this from my dad. Though he's definitely not the wealthiest person, he's probably the most honest person I know. He doesn't take any handouts. He runs his business solely on returning customers that he feel that he's trustworthy and honest enough to continue to do business with him. Yes, a few people have taken advantage over him, but that's life. And he's still feels grateful for everything.</p>
<p>Maybe I'm still living in the twentieth-century.</p>
<p>Actually you are living in a distant future century when Man has reached a much higher moral state. It is admirable but a little sad.</p>
<p>Accepted! </p>
<p>I got in, and was invited to the mosaic thing.</p>
<p>I left the "ethnic background" option blank on my application, all I said was that I hold dual nationality because it specifically asked such a question. Guess that was enough to qualify :)</p>
<p>My stats are somewhere on this forum if you feel like searching; sorry, but now that I'm done with all this stuff I don't even want to think about my resume, test scores, essays, or anything else that falls under the domain of "college application."</p>
<p>I was also accepted through the Mosaic weekend. It is very exciting, but also a bit disgusting to see how people are assuming that people who are not 100% of one culture will exploit it to their advantage. Let me just say this- I am white, no doubt about it. I am the palest one of all of my friends. However, I am 50% Cuban- and it is still a large part of my culture. I clearly checked two boxes on my application under race- hispanic and white. I wrote my entire essay about being white and jewish and how these meld with my Cuban heritage to contribute to my personal cultural background. I do not think that the admissions committee will be under any disillusions about me once I get there- they know I will not be one of the stereotypical faces that they will put on their guidebooks to prove their diversity. But I found it wonderful that Vanderbilt still proved by inviting me to the Mosaic weekend that they are not just looking to add students with different colored skin- they are looking to bring cultural diversity, a diversity of experiences that people can share with their peers at that school. No one who is not qualified for a certain school will get into that school solely because of their race, because guess what- that school will find someone, even of the same race, that is qualified. Yes, race plays a part in the college process. But it does not define an acceptance, it is simply a fringe benefit for the school from an already qualified student. Everyone on this board- I understand that it is unfair to feel at a disadvantage because of something you cannot change. However, please be sensitive to the fact that every URM that is accepted to Vanderbilt, or any school, will deserve to be there. Please to not diminish that accomplishment for them.</p>
<p>Can you please explain to me the connection between race and intellectual ability desilu, or did I miss something? </p>
<p>The argument I presented stated that there is an assumption of no connection between race and intellectual ability. However if a group is underrepresented, then there is some other reason for it, and some colleges have chosen to take on the challenge of overcoming that.</p>
<p>How about we increase the pool of talent by searching for talent, not racial diversity.</p>
<p>I proposed only that the argument for diversity has some merit, not that it is faultless. Please note that there are a boat load of colleges where there is very little diversity recruitment. There are some schools that don't accept public funding where diversity is not even a desired outcome. The colleges have a choice whom to recruit, and we have a choice where to apply and attend. That's the great thing about this country - freedom to choose.</p>
<p>@cer735: I completely understand what you're saying. My overall point was that I don't like how people are not being completely genuine in college admissions. I just used race as an example since MOSAIC has been the buzz in this forum lately. And for Vandy's MOSAIC, I know those who were accepted are definitely qualified. =]</p>
<p>haha cool, i agree with your point though about people being unethical in the application process, im sure it happens... and it sucks that it does :(</p>
<p>Decision: Accepted</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (by section): N/A
[</em>] SAT IIs: Math II - 740, Math I - 730
[<em>] ACT: 34
[</em>] APs: No test scores
[<em>] IBs: No test scores
[</em>] GPA: 4.3 weighted, obvi.
[<em>] Rank: 1/286
[</em>] Other stats: None
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] ECs listed on app: Student Senate, Youth United Way, FBLA, Political Interest Group, Orchestra, Cross Country
[</em>] Job/Work Experience: Private Tutor, United Way Marketing Internship
[<em>] Essays (subject and responses): Someone who has influenced me. I liked it.
[</em>] Teacher Recs: "best student I've had in twenty-five years of teaching..."
[<em>] Counselor Rec: "strong student... wants to change the world..."
[</em>] Applied on: RD
[<em>] Hook (if any): Leadership (state officer of FBLA, class president, founded an organization, board member of community volunteerism project)
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: Missouri
[<em>] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public, sends max of two students per year to top schools.
[</em>] Ethnicity: Asian
[li] Gender: Female[/li][/ul]*General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: * :)</p>
<p>how do u know exactly wut ur teacher and counselor said? i thot they weren't supposed to tell u anything abt it, and the student wasn't supposed to read it.....just curious!</p>
<p>*Decision: Accepted *</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (by section): 750 M, 800 CR, 730 W, 2280 Total
[</em>] SAT IIs: 750 Math IIC, 720 USH
[<em>] ACT:
[</em>] APs: 12 altogether
[<em>] IBs:
[</em>] GPA: 3.6 UW
[<em>] Rank: 51/774
[</em>] Other stats:
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] ECs listed on app: Varsity Tennis Captain, VP+Chairman of Interact Club, Library Teen Council, Speech and Debate Board of Executives
[</em>] Job/Work Experience: teaching tennis
[<em>] Essays (subject and responses): unique and risky
[</em>] Teacher Recs: great
[<em>] Counselor Rec: great
[</em>] Applied on: RD
[<em>] Hook (if any): leadership and personality (essay)? URM (Asian from CA)
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[</em>] State or Country: CA
[<em>] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Highly competitive, send numerous kids to ivies + top tier schools each year within my program
[</em>] Ethnicity: Asian (C)
[li] Gender: M[/li][/ul]</p>
<p>wow... is there anyone without those stats ^ accepted so there exists some hope for ppl like me who didn't take 12 APs?</p>
<p>Haha. I've been hoping for that too. I look at these people's test scores and I suddenly feel really incompetent. ;)</p>
<p>Well, I guess this may support the notion that most people who use this site are the people with the highest stats. I can only think of 3 people on this site that said they got rejected, compared to the many more who were accepted. This obviously isn't a representative sample of Vandy applicants, since we all know more people get rejected than accepted... especially this year.</p>
<p>My PAVE friend got in. He had a 32 ACT, 3.8 UW, and 3 APs (I don't know about the other stuff though). He's 1/4 Puerto Rican.</p>
<p>If that makes you feel better.</p>
<p>not rly cuz he's puerto rican. i'm sure that helps... lol thanks tho!
what's ur status?</p>
<p>Decision: Accepted (Mosiac)</p>
<p>Stats:[ul]
[<em>] SAT I (by section): 2280 (720CR/790M/770W)
[</em>] SAT IIs: 800Math2/800Chem/780BioM
[<em>] ACT: 0
[</em>] APs: 5 - Bio, Chem, USH, Eng Lang
[<em>] IBs: 0
[</em>] GPA: 5.65/6.0
[<em>] Rank: 21/578
[</em>] Other stats: ???
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[<em>] ECs listed on app: Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, Red Cross Co-President, Asian Club Publicity Chairman, medical school volunteering, created web service with 2+million hits/month, Art, JETS
[</em>] Job/Work Experience: Math instructor for little kids
[<em>] Essays (subject and responses): some people from MIT and Rice said it was good? but some of my HS friends didn't fully understand..
[</em>] Teacher Recs: moderate to good :\
[<em>] Counselor Rec: no clue. i've met my counselor about 2 times in my entire HS career
[</em>] Applied on: like 12/31
[<em>] Hook (if any): none
[</em>] This thing is missing awards: USNCO Honors (top 100), NMF, 1st place JETS TEAMS regionals, Texas art competition - made it to state, Gold medalist yearbook - Columbia Sch Press Assoc
[/ul]Location/Person:[ul]
[<em>] State or Country: TX
[</em>] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): 2800 students, competitive 40+% asian
[<em>] Ethnicity: asian
[</em>] Gender: male
[/ul]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: none</p>
<p>Maybe they'll admit so many asians that they don't have to worry about admitting white people with super high SATs/ACTs since the high asian scores will compensate for less high whitebread scores. ;)</p>