How to Succeed in College Admissions as a Hispanic Student

You’re smart, motivated, and want to go to college. But maybe no one else in your family has gone before, or most of the minorities in your high school drop out or decide not to attend college after high school. Maybe you’re not sure what to do or even how to start. Here are some tips for getting on track and snagging the attention of admissions officers:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Always check the box: Anytime you are asked to identify your race or ethnicity on a school test or document, ALWAYS check “Hispanic”---not “Other”. There are numerous scholarships geared specifically towards Hispanic students and plenty of colleges seeking to increase their Hispanic student population, so it is always to your advantage to mark “Hispanic.”
2. Prove that you’re academically prepared for college: Take a challenging course load with advanced/Honors/intensified and AP/IB classes, and all four classes every year of high school (English, science, math, and social studies). Don’t shy away from upper-level math classes, either, even if you don’t think you’ll ever study math in college or use it in your future career. Colleges love to see Precalculus on your high school transcript and Calculus impresses them even more. Even if you’re the only Hispanic at your school taking these classes, don’t be intimidated. You deserve to get the best education your high school offers.
3. Brandish your bilingualism: Even if you didn’t grow up speaking Spanish at home, but you’ve taken Spanish in high school, take the SAT II in Spanish and/or the exams for AP Spanish Language, AP Spanish Literature, and IB Spanish. If you’ve taken a third language in high school, such as French or German, admissions officers will be doubly impressed.
4. Don’t just cling to your books: While it’s important to be a good student, there’s more to life than studying. You have to learn to apply your knowledge to the real world, so, occasionally, you need to put down your books and join a club, tutor a younger student, try out for a sports team, audition for the school play, write for a local newspaper, get a job---do something that proves to college admissions officers that you’re comfortable living outside of the classroom!
5. Take a leadership position: But don’t limit yourself to just joining a club. Start or head one! Whether it means becoming President of the school Latino Club or starting a youth soccer team in your neighborhood, show colleges that you’re not afraid to contribute to your community and make a difference when one needs to be made. If you can organize a major fundraiser and gain publicity for your club from the local newspaper or news channel, that’s even better---just don’t forget to mention those details on your college applications!
6. Look for support: Sometimes it can be hard being a racial or ethnic minority with big dreams for college when most of your family or friends don’t share your level of ambition. But just because your parents, your older brothers and sisters, and your good friends didn’t go to college or have any plans to ever go, doesn’t mean you need to follow in their footsteps. Look for Hispanic role models in your community who have earned college degrees and have dynamic, respectable professions. Ask your teachers or your counselor if your school has a minorities coordinator who can mentor you and answer your questions about college, scholarships, and careers---because it’s difficult making this journey all by yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay focused and college may very well be in your future!