Does being a urm really help as much as people like to point out?

CTScoutmom
Fri, 15 Feb 2013 12:37:16 +0000

Can get in doesn’t equate to WILL get in. With a 3.7 he is capable of getting in almost anywhere (as is anybody). The question will be what on his application sets him apart from everyone else with a 3.7 or higher.

What is the rigor of his program - were those B’s in the most rigorous classes? What is the reputation of his high school? Only a very small percentage of students go to prep schools or “competitive” public high schools. That does not preclude them from being admitted to top schools. (And in some cases, it works against them, as they did not take the best advantage of the education available to them).

OP - start thinking about the essays you will need to write for your applications, and about the image you wish to portray to these colleges through your essays. Once you you have your first set of SAT or ACT scores, look at the common data set for the schools that interest you.

For Georgetown, looking at the 2011 data set, 35% of the admitted students were in the top 10% of their student body - you’re in pretty good shape there. 34% had a GPA of 3.75 or higher - again, you’re in pretty good shape. Average GPA of the admitted class was 3.47

If you can pull off an ACT composite of 30 (most students applying took ACT rather than SAT), you would be in the top 7% of that class. Above 24 would still keep you in the top half.

Obviously, the data for each college will be different, but it will help you find a good fit for you.