Ambitious Black Valedictorian

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>It’s a chances thread, you know the drill.</p>

<p>Demographics: low-income black kid at underfunded urban high school in Washington state</p>

<p>GPA: 4.0, but my school offers no APs, and really no Honors, because the funding just isn’t there. I’m a victim I tell ya.
Rank: 1/150, but again there’s no competition, so that’s not saying too much, but still it’s better than not being valedictorian.
SAT I: 2100 (730cr, 730w, 640m) Yes, I know it’s not super-****ing brilliant, but I’ll live.
SAT IIs: just wait, they’re coming
Curriculum: I’m currently taking all my classes, save Calculus 3 and International Finance, through dual-enrollment at a local community college. Course load includes English 102, Brit Lit 212, Physics 100 level, French 200 level. I’m not entirely sure how to calculate my GPA there, but I’ve received 95 percent or above in every class. I’m set to graduate with 30 credits, 10 above the required 20.
Intended Major: Linguistics, French, Arabic</p>

<p>ECs: Now we’re getting to the good stuff. My school being what it is offers next to nil in terms of clubs and activities, but I’ve tried to compensate. ECs not terribly abundant, but show commitment and also aren’t the typical laundry list</p>

<p>I’ve done extensive environmental work with a national non-profit called the Student Conservation Association. I know someone here has heard of it. I got involved in 9th grade and since then have racked up over 500 hrs of community service. This year I have leadership position, and am working to collect 450 hrs of community service through AmeriCorps. For the past three summers I’ve spent four weeks roughing it in the backcountry doing conservation work in various national parks, including two summers at Mt Rainier and last summer in Central Alaska. I’m actually gonna plug the Conservation Crews right here. Everyone should do this. It’s so amazing.
I’ve also done some work with another non-profit called the Coalition for Environmental Justice, but my involvement was minimal, so I may not mention it</p>

<p>I worked for three years with the UW and National Institute of Health researching the effects of a non-commercialism policy in my school district</p>

<p>I’ve been studying Arabic for the past two years with non-profit cultural group</p>

<p>I’m currently interning with yet another non-profit (you see my liberal do-gooder side coming out) called the MAVIN Foundation, which serves as an advocate for people of mixed race/heritage</p>

<p>Volunteer in a program called Talk Time through the CC, which basically helps immigrants learn English through conversation</p>

<p>Teen Court, 10th and 11th grade, similar to mock trial, it’s a student run court, which tries student in our school for minor offenses
Cross Country, 9th and 10th grade</p>

<p>I feel like I’m missing something. There are other random things, which I could list as filler, but would you want me to?</p>

<p>Recs: Just as good as anyone elses, one from Arabic teacher, another from Calculus teacher, which hopefully will partially compensate for my sad SAT math score
Essays: one written as a response to a speech given by Che Guevarra in which he describes how he was product of his environment, basically my own product of my environment rap, another about how I grew up in an appartment, but always wanted a house</p>

<p>Hook: Well, there’s race, and I’m very low-income, think my dad pulled in 19,000k last year
Hurt: Uh, SATscores could be better, and I’m from the Seattle area, which seems to have more qualified applicants per capita than anywhere in the US
Could Go Either Way: The fact that I’m coming out of some obscure *<strong><em>-poor high school. I’ve heard that a lot of top-tier schools like plucking somewhat promising black kids from the ghetto and I fit the bill for that, but I’m also coming out a *</em></strong>-poor high school that offers not very challenging courses and no competition, so my GPA and class rank aren’t as impressive</p>

<p>Schools: I’m reaching for the top
UW, because that’s just what you do when you’re from Washington
UBC, because Vancouver is awesome
USC, really my first choice and it's within my range
Swarthmore, I don’t even want to go there anymore
Cornell
Stanford
Yale</p>

<p>Obviously my dream would be Stanford or Yale, but since that isn’t going to happen I’m just as happy going to USC. Actually I know I killed any slim chance I had at Stanford, because my long essay was alright, but really not that good. It also had a few typos, because I’m mildly dyslexic and can’t type/spell for ****.The revised version however is amazing, and will be submitted to every other school.</p>

<p>If you made it through this excessively long thread, thanks for bearing with me, and tell me what you think.</p>

2

<p>why do you title your thread with "ambitious black valedictorian" and not simply "ambitious valedictorian" or "evaluate my chances please". Why does race have to be the first thing we look at?</p>

3

<p>dude since youre from WA..renton maybe? try whitworth/whitman and yea UW is a definite safety..or try WAZZU or Western as a bottom low safety.</p>

4

<p>You're in at all but Stanford and Yale. I give you 75% at those two.</p>

5

<p>YOur a lock everywhere but swatty yale and stanford, but those are excellent chances (50% +)</p>

6

<p>Well, considering you are a URM, id say you have good chances everywhere, maybe even including stanford and yale.</p>

7

<p>ryan2288 has a point there....</p>

<p>Anywho, i think colleges will recognize your situation and will deal accordingly.</p>

8

<p>I included race in the title just because I thought it might get more attention. Every thread here is some variant of "chances thread" and I wanted something different. I apologize if it's rubbing people the wrong way.</p>

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<p><<dude since="" youre="" from="" wa..renton="" maybe?="" try="" whitworth="" whitman="" and="" yea="" uw="" is="" a="" definite="" safety..or="" wazzu="" or="" western="" as="" bottom="" low="" safety.="">></dude></p>

<p>Nah, just Seattle, but almost Renton if I lived any further south. I thought of applying to more instate schools, but didn't see the reason, since I know that I wouldn't go if accetped. If I got rejected everywhere except UW and UBC I'd go to UBC, just because I can't see myself staying in Washington. I mean like it alright. It's my home. I just want to experience something else.</p>

10

<p>listen, if he's a URM, he is in by a mile at Swarthmore, did you check out that article how liberal arts colleges admit URMs at much higher rates, much higher rates than normal colleges.</p>

11

<p>Assuming you are a real person, you're in just about everywhere. Don't mean to offend you, but sometimes people will post ridiculous credentials that are either fake or meant to impress. Just take it as a compliment :)</p>

12

<p>You look to have a strong chance at all of the schools that you've mentioned. As long as your teacher rec and essays are strong, I would be very positive, if I were you. You seem quite different from most of the students that most of those schools will see, and that will interest them.</p>

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<p><<assuming you="" are="" a="" real="" person,="" you're="" in="" just="" about="" everywhere.="" don't="" mean="" to="" offend="" you,="" but="" sometimes="" people="" will="" post="" ridiculous="" credentials="" that="" either="" fake="" or="" meant="" impress.="" take="" it="" as="" compliment="">></assuming></p>

<p>How could I not take that as a compliment? Did you read my post? My stats are not that impressive. My SAT score is barely competitive, and it's what I'm most concerned about.</p>

14

<p>in wherever you want</p>

15

<p>black + low income family + 2100 + valdecitorian= HYPPS</p>

16

<p>I agree with sexyyetibeast (i don't agree with his name though)</p>

17

<p>Why the heck aren't you applying Harvard? They have a great fin.aid. package that would help you very well.</p>

18

<p>What are your college major/career plans? It could make a difference.</p>

<p>Don't overplay the "race," "victim" or "excuse" card. Adcoms want to hear how you overcame the challenges of your school's course offerings and other academic/EC shortcomings, i.e. AP self-study, long distance/online learning, summer enrichment programs, etc.</p>

<p>I hope you communicate more effectively in your essays and college interviews than you have here on CC. There is an annoying "I'm a poor black boy-what are you gonna do for me" attitude that comes across that would turn me off if I were reviewing your admissions material.</p>

19

<p>Your high school is really going to kill you. I know that you have taken the most of it and beyond by taking classes at the local cc, but your school sounds pretty bad. I wouldn't milk the "african-american" (pc), too much, because though it can't hurt, don't rely on it. I do feel that you have a decent college list, but you need some safe bets. USC and Washington you should be fine with, but I wouldn't put any money on Cornell, Stanford or Yale.</p>

20

<p>You are a case where I think affirmative action is doing some good for once. You obvious came from a very tough background, but you persevered. I really admire people with such tenacity lol. Anyway I think you should have an excellent shot at all of them. Apply to Harvard, I think you have a great shot. Good luck!</p>