<p>So here is my situation.
I'm hispanic, five people living in a 2 bedroom apartment. I share my room with my two sisters. I live in the ghettos. A black family at my left, a mexican family at my right. I take honors and AP classes. Studying at my house is almost impossible: ethier one of the four people I live with is making noise, my mexican neighbor was blasting his/her ranchy beats, or the black family blasting his/her rap. And sometimes, ALL AT THE SAME TIME. Since most of the time no one was available to take me to the library, what I decided to do was not get involved in any clubs. I would come straight home, and try to squeeze in my HWs in the small time my community would allow me to concentrate, sometimes I would even put earplugs on to study. Othertimes, when I was trying to do difficult HWs, and all the cacophony was going on, I would just quit, give up, get depressed and think "what's the point, I can't afford a good college anyways". Recently, however, I had a junior meeting with my concelour, and she said "your 'good' grades will not be enough to get into a good school, you neeed ECs", so I told myself, since this community never even lets me do my hw, let me just get involved. I began to get involved, and to my surprise, my grades began to flourish, I was able to block the noise off and concentrate better,and I felt better about myself. However, I believe that I realized the importance of ECs too late, as I am now a junior.
So my question to you is, if I write an essay on this subject, do you think it will make up for the super lack of ECs? Do you think I still have a chance at Harvard, UPenn, UVA and/or Cornell?</p>
<p>Being a low-income, first generation, under-repersented minority will help you more then any EC.</p>
<p>If your numbers are good top colleges wil look at your backround a lot more then your lack of ECs.</p>
<p>depends on alot....Stats????</p>
<p>If your low income you'll have no problem affording a good college. The system is full of resources for kids like you and desperate for qualified students from underprivileged backgrounds.</p>
<p>my GPA right now is 91/100 UW, and 97/110 W.
I think that's low given the Ivy Standard, but what ever.
I took my SAT IIs this May, and I'm taking the SAT I in June.
So I still don't have any numbers to give you guys.
But given i get over a 700 on all the SAT I sections and on each SAT II, do you guys think I have a chance?</p>
<p>If you get 700+ on every section on the SAT you have a very good shot at all Ivies. Don't worry about money. All the Ivies will give you a full ride at your income level.</p>
<p>The top colleges like stories, and you definitely have one.</p>
<p>my humble two cents: write about your life in the app.</p>
<p>Yours is the sort of situation that Affirmitive Action was meant to help. Make sure you mention your situation in your applications without overdoing it, being too dramatic, or using it as an excuse. My guess is a lot of great colleges will be dying to give you some assistance with admissions and financial aid.</p>
<p>Get some ear plugs to help minimize the noise. Those little foam ones are comfortable and take the edge off of loud noises.</p>
<p>Part of your story just doesn't make sense. If the situation at home was not condusive to studying, why didn't you stay at school and get involved rather than being at home? If the ivies took every URM with a ghetto story, they'd have more URMs than rich kids. It is sad that people on this board believe any URM with a 2100 will get into an ivy, it's simply not true.</p>
<p>^Maybe she has to supervise younger siblings.</p>
<p>I didn't stay after school b/c no one could pick me up after. And I am not saying, nor thinking that I can get in with my story. That's the reason I'm asking what you guys think.</p>