<p>If you can call yourself a “White European” Hispanic who has enjoyed many privileges in life, start prepping now to try to get a 33 ACT or 2200’s on the SAT. Be in the top 5% of your class unless you attend a top high school with lots of high achievers. Apply for collegiate summer or after school programs designed for under-represented minorities. Try to do something extraordinary and/or unique above the school level. The Wow! factor counts a lot at Yale. Volunteering with little kids at a local center doesn’t count for much. Winning an Intel award or singing in the All-City Junior Opera would be more impressive. If you come from a low income family, apply to Questbridge. Clearly, an Hispanic whose parents never went to college and are poor is going to be evaluated differently than an Hispanic from a professional family background. If you can’t move heaven and earth, consider great schools right below the Yale level, such as Brown and Penn, for early decision.</p>