<p>Are you applying as an international student or are you domestic (are you a resident/citizen)? If the former, you are not compared with other black domestic students, you are put in your own category with international students. If the latter, you are in the same category as black domestic students.
As for ECs, it really depends on where you’re aiming for that determines if that is enough or not. Yours seems to be good, but maybe not Ivy level or anything. But even if there is little opportunity for ECs in schools, could you find nothing else to do outside of school?</p>
<p>I am applying as an international. Does that mean they won’t recognize my race at all?</p>
<p>There are very few volunteer opportunities inside and outside school. Whenever I travel during the summer I volunteer for several weeks. It’s virtually irrelevant in my school and Nigerian schools.</p>
<p>(I believe) Schools don’t really base their acceptances on race unless you are of a rare race like Native American, but on your grades/SATs/ECs/etc. (you always have the option to NOT include your race if you have your doubts). </p>
<p>However, as an international you don’t have the same leverage that domestic black students have or that domestic students in general have. You should go onto sites like collegeboard.org and search up schools that you are considering and see the ratio of international students to domestic students that are accepted. International students are usually at a disadvantage to domestic students, in terms of both financial aid/merit aid and acceptances. </p>
<p>Like I said, your ECs are good/great in general but it depends on the school. Do you have any specific schools you’re aiming for?</p>
<p>I actually have heard “rumors” that the elite universities, at least some of them, have been trying hard to diversify their international students. The Chinese and Indian students had “benefited” from such efforts until very recently. </p>
<p>I think you may have a good chance with your qualifications and coming from Africa. Good luck.</p>
<p>In most cases, they will consider your ECs compared to what was available to you - much as they will consider a lack of AP classes, based on the fact that they were not available. Did you take the most challenging classes available? Did you participate in the activities that were available to you? If ECs were not available, what efforts did you make to become involved in your community? They are looking for students with something to offer the university - what can you offer that someone else might not be able to offer?</p>
<p>Being African will be an advantage if the school wants to increase the African presence on campus. If may be a disadvantage if there are already a significant number of Africans, unless they still want more for some reason. If you look at the lists of people both accepted and rejected by the most selective schools, you will see that there are many factors involved. Some of the “best” students are rejected by several schools, while some students perceived as less competitive are accepted at many schools - it depend on the total package.</p>
<p>^CTScoutmom explained it well. I wouldn’t put so much emphasis on your ethnicity because it is probably not as important as your grades/ECs/Essay/SATs. I don’t believe your ethnicity puts you at a disadvantage for any school; I’m just not sure if it gives you an advantage. It really depends on the school. </p>
<p>But I believe as an international student, you may be at a disadvantage to domestic students. In general, international students are accepted at a lower rate than domestic students and they often get little or no merit/financial aid. If I were you, I’d be looking for a number of scholarships for international students this summer as it is not uncommon for an international to pay full fare for colleges. That is, unless finance is not an issue for you and your family.</p>
<p>I think compared to other international students you are in great shape. Elite colleges recruit international African students all the time because they can get phenotypically black students who are likely wealthier than black American students.</p>
<p>Hmm okay then. Assuming I get a 2200+, 700-800 in math 2 and physics, have a good transcript and write decent essays. Do I stand a chance for Ivies/UCs/USC and other such schools?</p>
<p>@nauth I read somewhere that applying for need based aid as an international hurts your chances.</p>
<p>Posterguy, that’s untrue. Again, applying for need based aid does not affect your chances of being accepted in any way, shape, or form. </p>
<p>I also believe you stand a good chance for getting into top schools with those scores, grades, and essays. However when talking about Ivies no one can say for sure. I’ve seen a number of CC members with grades/ECs/scores better than yours get rejected and a number of people under your level get accepted. Standing a good chance and being accepted are not the same thing, and I hope you will keep an open mind and remember to have good list of financial/educational safety schools you would actually enjoy attending :]</p>
<p>Okay. What are some good west coast colleges? I have more family there.</p>
<p>I know Stanford is very hard to get into but what about berkley, ucla, ucsd, USC and such?
Are those grades likely to get me in as an international?</p>
<p>Naueth, you are completely wrong. Only three or four colleges in the US are need blind to international students. It is incredibly difficult to be admitted to a selective college as an international student applying for financial aid.</p>
<p>^I’m sorry, I’ve never heard that before. I was going on the experience my cousin from Nigeria went through, but I think I went too far. I’m going to take the backseat because this is not my area of expertise. Thank you, swattiechick, for correcting me. I wish Posterguy luck in his endeavors. ^^</p>
<p>If you get those scores, have few if any B’s, and no C’s, D’s, satisfy all the UCGPA admission requirements ( the arts one trips a lot of people up), and you don’t need any money ( cost is about $55,000/year right now), you should be fine at UCSD, and probably UCLA and Berkeley as well.</p>