Narcissa

lol.
yes
it does

Iirokotree

But you must realize that being black isn't good enough. You have to be a "smart" black, not necessarily compared to all students but compared to other smart African Americans usually. Don't think being black will secure you a place at harvard, because it won't

hpa10

lol. 10char

HopefulCEO

i know.. a blak person with grades that make them a prospective student

galoisien

See, no one actually statistically proven to me that race as an *isolated variable* increases one's chances significantly. Correlation != causation you guys.

Race correlates with many socioeconomic factors, so unless you specifically isolate for race, you can't conclude anything.

unshunreshun

Yes it helps

@ galoisien it is nearly impossible to prove causation through most statistics, as they are designed to show correlation. And because race usually correlates with an individual's socioeconomic standing, colleges can racially categorize applicants in order to determine their level of achievement relative to their supposed socioeconomic standing. So I do not see a reason to specifically isolate race, since it does not exist as an *isolated variable*

MidwestMom2Kids_

Two kids from the same large suburban HS with nearly identical EC's, grades, and test scores? If one is white and the other is Black or Hispanic, most top schools will want the Black or Hispanic student. That is just the way it is. And in my opinion, that is a reasonable system.

galoisien

Going to the same school != having the same cultural and socioeconomic background

House of London

Please don't assume that your minority status alone will get you into top schools. You still need the grades. Minority status most likely will help you when it comes down to the last spot and its between you and someone else.

galoisien

This isn't what I meant. I meant this is what colleges may *seem* to do when in fact their admission policies may well be different, though statistically their actions agree with the hypothesis.

The hypothesis is readily falsified when an URM who has enjoyed socioeconomic privilege does not impress an AdCom with having endured hardship ...

innervisions

I know a ton of rich black kids that go to my school that continue to get into ridiculous schools with decent grades and mediocre SATs. I think URMs still need to have a couple core interests and great personal qualities (recs, essays), but overall it is far easier for URMs to get into school.

somedumbnoob

Some Princeton researchers did a study a few years ago which found that, in top college admissions, being black or hispanic is equivalent to getting a 230 and 185 pt. boost in one's SAT scores, respectively. (Before the 2400 scale)

URM applicants also enjoy a much higher acceptance rate than the overall pool. In one extreme example, MIT's black applicants were admitted at twice the rate of the general applicant pool.

ee33ee

Colleges have never denied using affirmative action..............................

tokenadult

MODERATOR'S NOTE TO "Does being an African American increase your chances of getting into a good school?" THREAD:

This thread will be merged into the general FAQ thread on ethnic self-identification in college admission, where there are external links to federal government webpages and to scholarly studies on various related issues.

Bay

Every time I see this statement repeated, it makes me laugh (bitterly). Obviously, they are looking at the wrong "pool."