<p>All three colleges Princeton, Harvard, and UPenn are most important to me. Sad thing is, my accomplishment aren't extraordinary, I do have a 31 on my Act, and will get 2200+ on my SAT, and have a bunch of extracurriculars. But I don't have a book published, I'm not a gold medalist from the olympics, etc etc. I'm 100% dominican, and I don't really come from a family of means (information that may help) . What I want to know is where should I apply for early action, where I have the best shot, and if I should even consider applying to Harvard at this time since they're so selective. Do I have a chance ?</p>
<p>Well, Harvard and Princeton are Single-Choice Early Action, so it’s nonbinding and you pick one . However, UPenn is Early Decision, so if you’re accepted, you have to attend. The admission rate is probably higher, since you promise to go if they choose you. Basically, if you’re sure you’d be happy attending UPenn if accepted and won’t have any regrets if you don’t get to pick another school, go for Early Decision there. Otherwise, pick Harvard or Princeton. Also, look at regular Early Admission schools where you can get more early, nonbinding decisions. Does that help??
Also, these schools are pretty much long shots for everyone, so no one can say what your chances are because almost anyone (unless, like you said, those gold medalists and published authors) has pretty low chances.</p>
<p>Without knowing anything about you except your ACT score of 31, my advice would be to apply RD to all three, but NOT to apply SCEA to Harvard or Princeton, or ED to UPenn.</p>
<p>The reason is that I think – at best – given your ACT score you will be deferred in the early round as your accomplishments, by your own admission, are not stellar. The early rounds are really for the applicants who have extraordinary credentials, or athletes, or URM’s (if you are a US citizen you would qualify as such, but not as an international student – and your ACT is at Harvard’s low end). So, basically, if you apply to these schools early, you will have wasted your early slot.</p>
<p>What I think you should do is apply to a broader range of non-binding schools early action – schools that do not restrict how many early applications you can send. You should focus on schools where your 31 ACT is in that colleges mid-range of scores.</p>
<p>Is it wrong for me to assume that admission officers have different standards for students that don’t come from a background of affluence? It would extremely easy for me to get endorsed or get published if I had $$$ . Basically I’m saying maybe the admission process is a bit more subjective and these kinds of schools care more about who you are than what you’ve achieved. And I’m also assuming they can see who I am through my application essay and recommendations . Anyone else think the same ?</p>
<p>No, you are correct that colleges view applicants in terms of the environment they grew up in. Certainly they will take poverty and extreme financial hardship into account. </p>
<p>gibby has a point though; your ACT places you around the 97th percentile. Harvard accepts something like 800 students early action, and these are some of the most academically outstanding of the million or so people applying to college each year. There have definitely been people accepted with worse test scores than you, but generally they are outstanding in their extracurriculars or overcame immense hurdles. If you think you fit into this category, you should consider applying early.</p>
<p>^^ While Harvard does take poverty and extreme financial hardship into account, they usually accept these students in the regular round, not in the early round. </p>
<p>You can find many such stories on google, but the stories appear in May not December.
[David</a> Boone, Cleveland Student, Goes From Homeless To Harvard (VIDEO)](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>David Boone, Cleveland Student, Goes From Homeless To Harvard (VIDEO) | HuffPost Teen)
[Dawn</a> Loggins, Student, Heading To Harvard After Being Homeless, Abandoned By Parents (VIDEO)](<a href=“HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost”>Dawn Loggins, Student, Heading To Harvard After Being Homeless, Abandoned By Parents (VIDEO) | HuffPost Latest News)</p>
<p>I suggest applying regardless to any of those schools but only to the one that you would definitely enjoy going to the most. Don’t choose a school based on prestige - apply because you want to go there, even if your chances are slim.</p>