@andydonald lol at the irony of you being a white privileged male & still having the audacity to think he was accepted to such a prestigious university based on his race. you should just stop overestimating yourself. Just because you didn’t get in and some PoC did doesn’t mean that they got in unfairly.
I honestly know what I said should be kept to myself, but it just really bothers me that my ACT score is a full 7 points higher and he gets ahead because of something beyond both of our control. And to @onward2745 who said I was “white privileged male,” try again because although I am white, I am far from privileged. That comment was honestly just as uncalled for as my original one.
@andydonald granted, race is beyond both of our control
However, remember that college admissions is not solely based on test scores. Along with that, you assumed that because I had a 26 ACT, that I had “average EC’s,” which also isn’t okay. Don’t make generalizations dude.
If you wanna have further discussion then message me privately. This isn’t the point of the forum.
Dear nikomalingo : While these forums can be used to encourage candidates by providing guidance and enhanced ideas during the application phase, College Confidential is most useful as a medium for the exchange of factual information. An ACT composite score of 26 corresponds to an SAT two-way score of 1170-1200 which can be extrapolated to at best an 1800 three-way score. Those three-way scores are 150 points below the 25th percentile for an average admitted class. Translated, this is just about the lowest score that I have ever seen accepted to Boston College, particularly from the wait list. With a 3.73 GPA (albeit without a description of your course load), it is very hard to know whether you are a Top 10% candidate that could typically occupy 85% of BC’s freshman class.
Let’s stay on the facts. The real question is what from your profile would have differentiated you from thousands of other wait listed candidates? I would not believe that race entered the picture since ultimately you have to be able to do the work associated with a Top 30 University; further, I am sure that there had to be some academic element of your profile which raised your profile with admissions. Could it have been your private school? An academic connection between this Pennsylvania school and Boston College?
So, what do you think was the key asset from your application? If we take everything discussed to date off the table, what was your secret sauce for acceptance? Please share your thinking.
@andydonald: I hope that you take the time to reflect on your earlier post, by degrading someone for their ethnicity is very childish. Hopefully you will gain the knowledge in the coming years and treat everyone know matter where they come from or what skin tone they have as an equal. Because we all need to Love thy neighbors…
Dear andydonald : While your wait list status can be an emotional experience, conducting a public forum discussion that reads “my profile is better than your profile because of X, Y, and Z” does not advance your case, particularly when the conversation erodes into a discussion of skin color.
Even if every College Confidential reader was to agree with your position, ultimately, there was something Boston College preferred in another’s application.
Whatever the reason, you will find situations in life where reaching for the brassring leaves you just a bit short for any one of a number of reasons. Rather than attacking the successful candidate, try to draw out what might have been the differentiator and learn what you can from the situation to improve yourself. Honestly, that is the most proactive and positive approach to the situation.
Jesuit education is not just practiced at Boston College. Think about it.
Dear andydonald : Adding another point and another perspective as follows. There are likely hundreds of applications that had weaker board scores, GPAs, sports, music, extra curriculars, volunteerism, recommendations, essays, or more. Clearly, we are not going to have a debate point-for-point against all of those applications, but they are still accepted students.
My point is that this is not as if you were bumped for the very last spot - there was many applications that were chosen over yours to this point and clearly not all of them can be simply identified as ethnic choices. Perhaps it is time to think about how you communicated your passion for Boston College and how you convinced the admission’s committee that you make Boston College a better place.
@andydonald:
If you look through the BC “decision” threads on this site for the past few years, you will readily see many with high academic profiles (SAT/ACT/GPA) who do not get accepted, and you’ll also see many with much lower academic profiles who do get accepted. BC, like many other schools, has their mosaic of the freshman class they are trying to build.
I too thought your earlier post was very childish. My first reaction, coming from my experience on various organizations that have written many letters of recommendation over the years, was we’ll write a less than stellar LOR if we see that kind of behavior.
While it is disgusting and appalling that colleges use race as a factor in admissions, that can be no justification for personal attacks on students.
The correct way to address this injustice is through the political process, as has already been done with public schools in California & Michigan. We should all do our best to ensure that no schools, public or private, that benefit from public funds, including research grants or subsidies to attending students, are permitted to practice racism in admissions.
Boston College is a true Jesuit institution. It looks for top students both academically and morally who show depth of character and promise through their essays and letters of recommendations (among other criteria). To insinuate that admissions selects the students it wants based on race is incorrect, insulting and disseminating false information.
These are BC’s supplemental essay questions. As one can see, they require much thought and are geared to shed light about the writer’s character:
- What contemporary issue or trend relating to politics, culture and society, or foreign policy particularly concerns you and why?
- Many human beings throughout history have found inspiration and joy in literature and works of art. Is there a book, play, poem, movie, painting, music selection, or photograph that has been especially meaningful for you?
- Contemporary higher education reflects a tension between preparing for a meaningful life and preparing for a career. What are you looking for in an undergraduate education? Which emphasis is important to you at this moment and why?
- "Magis", a Latin word meaning "more," is often cited in reference to the goals of Jesuit education, which seeks to help students become better, do more, and have as much impact on society as possible. How do you hope to achieve the Magis in your life?
The Jesuits are known for their pursuit of academic and intellectual expansion, devoting much of their lives to this (they have taken a vow of poverty after all) . Hence, they understand that one’s potential to excel and grow is integral to an academic education. Can’t separate the mind from the soul.
Let’s stop honoring that ridiculous post with responses and get back to what matters, why we’re even on here; has anyone heard of calls going out yet today?
Devlin Hall, you on the air? Got any calming or exciting info for us?
@limbo333 Nothing yet in Mass, I suspect it’s to early most calls probably won’y go out unitl 2:00 pm or so after kids get out of classes. Still praying for good news! Good Luck!
Has anyone who received a phone call gotten a change on their portal yet?
Has anyone received anything via email?
no not me 
Nothing here either
no news so far
I guess no one received anything today. They did say early this week so probably tomorrow!
Has anyone received an email or phone call today?