<p>decrescendo - I’m only trying to stress the fact that nothing is guaranteed in this process, and I have seen people scrambling to apply to other places after an unfavorable admissions decision was made. Your confusion is the entire reason I give the advice to avoid chance threads altogether. If it makes you feel better, I was also a Hispanic applicant with a 33 on the ACT, but I am personally convinced that my acceptance was determined primarily by my interview and my essays. I wish you the best of luck in applying, but trust me, once your application has been sent in you are going to want to avoid chance threads and contemplating this process. It will save you a lot of sleep.</p>