What are my chances of getting into these schools? I am an African American female

Student Lounge African-American Students
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<p>:\ cmon dude. You didn’t need to bring someone else into the argument. I’m sure that person’s super excited about ND, and he doesn’t need to spotlighted as someone who didn’t deserve to get in.</p>

<p>Assuming your feelings about AA are correct, then what makes you different from the white applicants that make up the majority at ND that WERE accepted? Why weren’t they shafted? At the end of the day, all this admissions junk is conducted to create a class with a mix of people, and they want people that add to that mix. Whether the bring something to the place from their hometown, race, or abilities, it seems that these schools succeed at bringing people from all bouts of life to one campus. That person with a 1680 might have had an amazing essay, or a major resume, or maybe just parents with wads of cash :wink: but they’re bringing something to the university, and that’s why they were ultimately accepted.</p>

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<p>ND has like 4 black people. Honestly, what do you expect? They need to put some form of “diversity” down on their pamphlets … on the flip side, ND just had a black valedictorian. Was she admitted in because of AA? Based on your assumptions of 99.9%, probably. Yet she beat out everyone in her class. Are you afraid of something like this happening to you? A student who happens to have a lower SAT score and a “less impressive resume” given an opportunity at a level playing field to beat you? Clearly.</p>

<p>I sense that you’re afraid of that opportunity to play at an equal level with URMs and you’re blaming AA because of it. If I were White, that would just make me want to turn it up a notch. I wouldn’t be sitting here on CC pouting about it. </p>

<p>To add to Lapras’ post, your stats were probably great but the adcoms didn’t see what extra qualities you were bringing to the table besides the White admit with the same resume as yours. Diversity from all perspectives besides URM is essential to creating the perfect freshman class that all colleges strive for. Just my .02.</p>

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<p>@ lapras, Well he deserved it somehow b/c admissions counselors are definately not mentally challenged, so kutos to him…lets just say i get frustrated when people I don’t know call me “ignorant.”… now in a more civilized, less caustic tone, I sincerely do not believe I was ousted into the waiting list pool because some black guy/girl with lesser stats made it over me. Most likely it’s because the average act score is 33/34 and many applicants have stellar leadership roles and ec’s…moving on look at nd’s demographics, consistently white catholic people apply there just because it has a white/catholic/irish tradition. about 4% of people who attend there are black and few blacks apply there to begin with due to its cultural tradition I just mentioned. I guess it would be like if I applied to Howard University. Most of those accepted were so b/c they probably have amazing stats/ecs. All in all that’s why they weren’t shafted…Good point though on the fact that colleges want kids from all over with different talents I’m fine with that. I just don’t agree and never will with the race part. I say “F” discrimination in all forms whether its slavery, making chinese build all our railroads in the pacific for ***** pay, putting japanese in camps, burning crosses, lynching people, denying people civil rights, or giving applicants an edge in the college application process due to their skin color. that’s what i believe. peace.</p>

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<p>justafream92, "ND has like 4 black people. Honestly, what do you expect? They need to put some form of “diversity” down on their pamphlets " that’s like saying “let’s accept a few minority kids just so we don’t look racist”…I don’t think nd does this but AA definately does factor in. And yea I know this past year the valedictorian was black, what do you know?! <em>looking shocked</em> not all minorities are dumb! who knew? (sarcasm) And why are you assuming she had a “less impressive resume?” I used that line referencing that SOMETIMES minority applicants with “less impressive resumes” make it over non URM’s. Do you know this girl? What was her SAT? Are you assuming it was not high because she’s black?..And you wonder if I’m worried about competing with minorities? Try I worry about competing with just kids (whose race doesn’t matter) that are naturally smarter than me. I’ve “turned [my game if you want to call it that] up a notch” seeing that I used to “suck” in middle school and my first act score was a 26. I really don’t want to sound like a narcissistic brat on here but you’re making me divulge. You don’t have to provide me with any motivation I’ve got my own.</p>

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<p>@starlight*:
" i’m just glad i wasn’t negatively affected by the heavily skewed AA system; my superior testing scores, grades, etc. were not mocked by my denial in favor of black students with much lower scores, like yours."</p>

<p>Her scores are very good and she has a lot of ECs. Don’t act like she’d only get into college with AA. Plus, you sound really cocky, and frankly, I also hint some jealousy? BOOHOO suck it up! I’m sick of people screaming “Affirmative Action” whenever a minority student posts their credentials, test scores, etc. mov on with your life please!</p>

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<p>I see AA as quota based. Period. Races being shafted against one another is a pointless assumption, considering that minority representation on campuses, percentage wise, has marginally changed over the last 10 years and have essentially remained stable, with Whites and Asians overwhelmingly still representing the majority of students. Therefore, I don’t find AA as racially discriminatory; it’s how LBJ saw it fit to make college campuses and workplaces reflective of America’s demographics. Because the percentage rates have marginally changed over time, I feel that Whites are competing with Whites, Blacks with Blacks, Asians with Asians, Hispanics with Hispanics and Natives with Natives. I doubt that’s really true for all schools, but that’s my theory on it all. </p>

<p>At the end of the day though, we’re all competing with each other and in the world we live in, only the most able and ‘qualified’ people will stand. It’s time for us as a society to make things interesting by heating up the competition while striving to be the best human beings we can be.</p>

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<p>And as Lyndon B Johnson said:
“You do not wipe away the scars of centuries by saying: ‘now, you are free to go where you want, do as you desire, and choose the leaders you please.’ You do not take a man who for years has been hobbled by chains, liberate him, bring him to the starting line of a race, saying, “you are free to compete with all the others,” and still justly believe you have been completely fair… This is the next and more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just freedom but opportunity—not just legal equity but human ability—not just equality as a right and a theory, but equality as a fact and as a result.”</p>

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<p>@tfeduardo: "And yea I know this past year the valedictorian was black, what do you know?! <em>looking shocked</em> not all minorities are dumb! who knew? (sarcasm) And why are you assuming she had a “less impressive resume?” I used that line referencing that SOMETIMES minority applicants with “less impressive resumes” make it over non URM’s. Do you know this girl? What was her SAT? Are you assuming it was not high because she’s black?..And you wonder if I’m worried about competing with minorities? Try I worry about competing with just kids (whose race doesn’t matter) that are naturally smarter than me. I’ve “turned [my game if you want to call it that] up a notch” seeing that I used to “suck” in middle school and my first act score was a 26. I really don’t want to sound like a narcissistic brat on here but you’re making me divulge. You don’t have to provide me with any motivation I’ve got my own. "</p>

<p>I admire your sarcasm. Your broad rhetoric had implications that you were generally speaking of URMs, thus leading to those quotations regarding ND’s valedictorians’ qualifications. About her SAT score, suppose her scores were in the 25-75% range for ND … if you had seen her on campus, would you have assumed that she had gotten there because of AA? What if her scores were lower than that? You probably would’ve assumed the same thing. … 99.9% either way right? Your posts have given me mere reasons to draw conclusions. But then again, who am I to judge?</p>

<p>“not all minorities are dumb.” There, you’ve proven my point. </p>

<p>I don’t think the common app has a section for IQ testing, which determines natural intellect. Tell me, if you will, how would you determine who is and who’s not naturally smarter than you? I hope it’s not through the SAT or ACT; the flaws with standardized testing is a whole different discussion.</p>

<p>I’m glad you have the motivation; now apply it instead of wasting your time venting.</p>

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<p>Ignoring the Affirmative Action Debate…
I just want to chance this girl, haha.
Is that 3.96 W or UW, because that does make a difference. I’ll assume it’s UW because your other scores suggest you are a really good student.
The 31 ACT is fine, not remarkable, but really good.
Yale, MIT, Brown- Are just Reaches for any one, you have as good a Chance as Any one, though. MIT does look favorably on Girls in Sciences(Esp AA girls!)
Northwestern, Rice, UPenn- You have a great chance at thse schools I’d be surprised if you did not get into at least one of them.
Baylor, and Boston University- I feel like you definitely have these two in the bag.
JHU- I’m not really well versed in this school, but I know the UW GPA is 3.71 for incoming freshman and you have that, also the AA female interested in Sciences is helpful here as well.</p>

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<p>I don’t believe starlight* is a ■■■■■. </p>

<p>That aside, OP does have decent chances. Definitely try to up that standardized test score. You already have an halfway shot based upon your objective credentials; it’s up to you to boost the subjective ones (essay, interview if it counts, etc).</p>

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<p>

</p>

<p>:confused:</p>

<p>If I’m following this correctly, you are saying that people should not strive for discrimination in slavery, meaning that we should all be equal as slaves (and railroad builders, etc)?</p>

<p>You need to learn how to write properly; it would help you in online arguments considerably.</p>

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<p>It’s always the same thing in these threads…</p>

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<p>Hi I would like to say that I am a really hardworking person that will enjoy my 4 years at Notre Dame!..Who know I might become Valedictorian?</p>

<p>Have a nice day! =)</p>

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<p>^I lol’d so hard.</p>

<p>Way to take things in stride, shyman. Props to you. :)</p>

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<p>you’re right, I am black, and very proud. All I am saying is that i think that it is unfair that someone with a 1700 on their SAT would make it into an ivy, and that becomes the norm amongst black students, while only very few white students could get in with that score. Now believe me, I do understand that colleges adjust lower scores for differences in BACKGROUND, but I feel that it should only be based on socio-economic background and NOT RACE. For example, for a person with a mother who works three jobs in an inner city school, whose father is in prison, and who has to work to help support his or her three younger siblings, and who would be the first person in their family to grad. high school let alone attend college, who got a 2000 on the SAT, it should be regarded as a 2200 perhaps. </p>

<p>I just know many Af-Am applicants who were rejected with stellar stats mind you, while under-qualified people are instead accepted, like little charity cases. Why does it make you happy to know that you only earned something b/c of your race? Hmm? It pains me inside to even consider that. But I know that I would’ve still had a shot, black or white, because I did MUCH better number-wise, and had extensive ECs. </p>

<p>Places like the number one school in the world are less likely to do this than ND, (thank god). But I whole-heartedly disagree with this quota thing, or if you’re a little black charity case you should get in. I know many lower ivies use this mentality, from the stats of their admitted black students. </p>

<p>Something interesting that I have noticed, is that many of the Af-Am ppl on this forum that get into practically every ivy league en up getting rejected from yale…maybe accepting them wouldn’t fulfill their community service requirements lol. Please, stop bringing up slavery you were NEVER no slave. Move on, for real. Are you gonna be some jesse jackson radical forever, please. “Oh well a long time ago you did this and that and blah blah, bull”. So what, today is today, stop dwelling in the past. Yes its an important history that has set our people back, but then just work hard! You should already know then that no white person will just hand it to you (unless they need volunteer hours for working with charity cases) so just make sure you are on par black or white, thats ALL that I am saying.</p>

<p>I have no crutches, I blame no one, and I am independent. </p>

<p>Black, white, hispanic, asian, martian, it doesn’t matter, I do me. </p>

<p>And don’t you dare accuse me of JEALOUSY?? I was accepted into every school I applied to, including 7/8 ivies. So don’t you dare hate on me b/c I am a self-sufficient young Black individual. At the back of your heads, you are always gonna think “am i good enough, should I be here, I don’t match up” and you will graduate near the bottoms of your respective classes, b/c you just didn’t deserve it. But I have confidence in myself, and I know I deserve it, which, as you can see, is RESPECTED by ppl of other races, not this bs “woe is me, oh pitiful, pitiful me” attitude y’all have. You think if Barack Obama had done that, dwelled on his race and the white man, he could’ve won? HECK NO! I’m not saying there isn’t racism, believe me I know, but you will feel so much better in yourself knowing that you deserve you spot, and that you CAN compete. funny just a dream is here criticizing…</p>

<p>So just do you, charity cases, if thats how you want things to be. keep hanging out at the bottom with your sub-par SAT, be the one black person they have to accept onto the board just to prove they’re not racist, go ahead. i’ve found its much easier to breathe at the top…</p>

<p>Just quit talking and yapping about all the reasons why you inherently can’t be on top b/c of this and that, and strive to just be on top, STEP UP!! You know the prejudice we face, ppl automatically assume that we are all charity cases, until we prove otherwise. True charity cases will just validate their arguments.</p>

<p>amen somebody.</p>

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<p>You can do what ever you want and have faith in yourself. I believe yo will make into those schools. You have done an excellent job so far.</p>

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<p>and here’s a question nobody’s ever posed:</p>

<p>If you LIKE the fact that you are UNDER-QUALIFIED and may have only earned something BECAUSE of your race,</p>

<p>WHY DO YOU GET UPSET WHEN PEOPLE ASSUME YOU ARE AN AA CHARITY CASE? WHY DO YOU COMPLAIN WHEN OTHER PPL TELL YOU THAT YOU TOOK THEIR SPOT…UM HELLO THAT’S WHAT A QUOTA IS!!!</p>

<p>Thats just stupid, on one hand you are basking in the glory of AA, but then defending it by saying that you are happy that ppl feel bad for you? The DONT YOU EVER call yourself “smart”. DONT YOU EVER get upset in college when someone tells you that you only got in b/c you are black. Pray, do tell, when ppl have said that to you up until now, what do you say? Probably “no that’s not true”? haha you guys are a joke. and DONT YOU DARE INSINUATE THAT I ALSO WAS A LITTLE BLACK CHARITY CASE, THE UTTER INSULT!!!</p>

<p>and where are you going to college elbeen? ms. 28 ACT?</p>

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<p>Starlight, you’re soooooooooo cool. Please, keep talking. Because EVERYONE cares.</p>

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<p>**you’re right, I am black, and very proud. All I am saying is that i think that it is unfair that someone with a 1700 on their SAT would make it into an ivy, and that becomes the norm amongst black students, while only very few white students could get in with that score. Now believe me, I do understand that colleges adjust lower scores for differences in BACKGROUND, but I feel that it should only be based on socio-economic background and NOT RACE. For example, for a person with a mother who works three jobs in an inner city school, whose father is in prison, and who has to work to help support his or her three younger siblings, and who would be the first person in their family to grad. high school let alone attend college, who got a 2000 on the SAT, it should be regarded as a 2200 perhaps. **</p>

<p>I absolutely agree.</p>

<p>**I just know many Af-Am applicants who were rejected with stellar stats mind you, while under-qualified people are instead accepted, like little charity cases. Why does it make you happy to know that you only earned something b/c of your race? Hmm? It pains me inside to even consider that. But I know that I would’ve still had a shot, black or white, because I did MUCH better number-wise, and had extensive ECs. **</p>

<p>This excerpt is counter-productive to your argument. You fail to acknowledge that college admissions is not centered around quantitative merit, thus the rejection of “stellar” African American applicants. If said university wanted them, they would’ve accepted them. Apparently said university accepted the student with lower quantitative stats for a reason, probably derived from the holistic viewing of an application and in the context of what the student can bring to the school that is uniquely different from the general applicant pool, precisely amongst the URM applicants.</p>

<p>**. But I whole-heartedly disagree with this quota thing, or if you’re a little black charity case you should get in. I know many lower ivies use this mentality, from the stats of their admitted black students. **</p>

<p>Charity case? Coming from someone who supports socioeconomic AA, that needs elaboration.*</p>

<p>Something interesting that I have noticed, is that many of the Af-Am ppl on this forum that get into practically every ivy league en up getting rejected from yale…maybe accepting them wouldn’t fulfill their community service requirements lol. Please, stop bringing up slavery you were NEVER no slave. Move on, for real. Are you gonna be some jesse jackson radical forever, please. “Oh well a long time ago you did this and that and blah blah, bull”. So what, today is today, stop dwelling in the past. Yes its an important history that has set our people back, but then just work hard! You should already know then that no white person will just hand it to you (unless they need volunteer hours for working with charity cases) so just make sure you are on par black or white, thats ALL that I am saying.</p>

<p>Regarding Yale’s admittance of Blacks as a part of fulfilling a community service initiative is incredibly pompous of you and therefore, I can’t really take you seriously in this forum. And to say “just work hard” after a set back is what these Black admits are doing. Working hard in a terrible public school where teachers don’t care about educating you because you’re Black will only get you so far in the context of what you see as “hard work.” I highly disbelieve that these students sit on their rear-ends all day, waiting to be passed a bone but are in fact highly driven, ambitious, focused individuals who thrive when given the opportunity of an education at an elite college. If you’ve come across the contrary, by God, you have my sympathy, as that is not, by far, a valid example of the typical African American admit.*</p>

<p>**And don’t you dare accuse me of JEALOUSY?? I was accepted into every school I applied to, including 7/8 ivies. So don’t you dare hate on me b/c I am a self-sufficient young Black individual. **</p>

<p>Congratulations. I was also accepted to every school I applied to.</p>

<p>**At the back of your heads, you are always gonna think “am i good enough, should I be here, I don’t match up” and you will graduate near the bottoms of your respective classes, b/c you just didn’t deserve it. **</p>

<p>Well I sure don’t and I won’t. And I don’t necessarily think the other Black posters in this forum are digging into your projections of their futures. That’s for them to decide. But I have confidence in myself, and I know I deserve it</p>

<p>which, as you can see, is RESPECTED by ppl of other races, not this bs “woe is me, oh pitiful, pitiful me” attitude y’all have.</p>

<p>I would suggest that you stop thinking that people will all of a sudden respect you if you have a 2400 tattooed on your forehead. The first thing people will acknowledge when you go to college is the color of your skin and that’s the reality of the situation. Respect is earned by character. Not by merit. Blacks have long not been respected amongst white audiences so go ahead and reject that that’s still not recurrent in this day and age. AA is not a brand new excuse for Black doubt and criticism. Black doubt and criticism exists prior to any college experience. Your argument holds no fervor or importance for that matter.</p>

<p>**You think if Barack Obama had done that, dwelled on his race and the white man, he could’ve won? HECK NO! **</p>

<p>Barack Obama embraced his race, successfully getting through Columbia and HLS and has professed to having his experience here as biracial to have shaped his political viewpoints. He did not dwell on it. He embraced it. I’ve never dwelled on my race as a consequence of anything I’ve earned in my life. I embraced it. Why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t anyone?</p>

<p>** I’m not saying there isn’t racism, believe me I know, but you will feel so much better in yourself knowing that you deserve you spot, and that you CAN compete. funny just a dream is here criticizing…"**</p>

<p>Sorry, I failed to catch the joke. I know very well that I’m deserving of everything I receive in my life, including my college acceptances. I was “qualified” just like the other 90% of the 32,000 applicants in the Stanford pool. I displayed that I was not only able to handle the work there, but that I would be an asset to the campus as an activist, a leader, a researcher, a student, a human being. I believe the other Freshmen<em>at HYPSM did the same thing. I feel so good that I now have the opportunity exceed all of the potential that others see in me. I feel so good to prove people like you wrong while proving to myself that I am more than what my skin color notions in spite of what others may think. I feel so good to know that I deserve to be there based on my personal and academic strides in the face of adversity. I feel so good that I’m being equipped with the tools I need to compete in the global market while simutaneously outperforming the white guy from Exeter or Andover in my Economics class at Stanford. It’s a great feeling and I won’t allow naysayers and crticism ruin that for me. I’m used to that already.</em></p>

<p>So just do you, charity cases, if thats how you want things to be. keep hanging out at the bottom with your sub-par SAT, be the one black person they have to accept onto the board just to prove they’re not racist, go ahead. i’ve found its much easier to breathe at the top…</p>

<p>The irony is, you, in fact, may be the token. The bottom … the top? Okay …
*
Essentially, your arguments are rather sporadic, contradicting, condescending and hypocritical. To raise yourself to another level and think you’re better than everyone in this forum is your perogative. But I must warn you, carrying on in the way you have here renders severe consequences outside of an Internet forum.</p>

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<p>…WHOA…
starlight*…wow…I can’t believe how you insult people like this being an AA yourself…you really believe you didn’t benefit at all from affirmative action? being accepted to 7/8 ivies?
…this boggles the mind. Have fun at Yale that’s all I have to say lol</p>

<p>And to the OP: you’ll do great. you have as good as shot as anyone and you can only lose by failing to try.</p>