<p>I’m white, and I got in without any mind blowing, amazing ECs and am definitey not a recruited athlete. I aso live in a relatively affluent suburb and am not the first in my family to go to college. So, I think I got in on academic merit. THat said, I am the first person in a few years from my school to get in. It is however possible, you just need to have some way of standing out with your essays/teacher recs I think.</p>