<p>Good day to everyone. I'm a student waiting on college decisions. However from reading these forums I have gotten to understand that being a urm has a slight advantage as it relates to college admissions. I was born in Atlanta, Georgia to two Jamaican parents, who then moved back to Jamaica with me. Therefore I have done all my schooling in Jamaica. My passport is american and I have a ssn and everything. Will I be considered as a URM or as an international student?</p>
<p>Where you are from doesn’t
matter.
Just the color of your skin.</p>
<p>If you are applying as an international you will be considered just that and thats the group with lowest chance of acceptance esp if you need aid. URM status applies to permanent residents and citizens.</p>
<p>OP has American citizenship and thus, will be considered an URM for some colleges.</p>
<p>@yoskis: if OP was a Jamaican citizen, he/she would not be considered an URM (which is a designation for US citizens and perm residents). It’s not only skin color but citizenship status.</p>
<p>As long as you’re a citizen or PR, then your ethnicity can count for URM status. Since you have a US passport, and it sounds like you’re Black, then yes, you’re a URM. </p>
<p>Most/all schools do not consider int’ls ethnicities for URM status.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Do you know any schools that consider intl applicants as URMs?</p>
<p>@nocknock No where in the application does it explicitly ask if I’m an international student or not. The same requirements are needed for both domestic and international students. So I don’t understand what you mean by ‘if I’m applying as an international student’.</p>
<p>@T26E4 and @mom2collegekids This is what I was hoping, however i forgot to mention that I’m a dual citizen of both countries. Does that change anything? and does the definition of URM vary from college to college?</p>
<p>You are citizen so don’t sweat it. I don’t think you will be grouped in the international pool if you email the offices and tell them about the error. Did you submit the FAFSA? </p>
<p>The admin office would know based on how you filled out the demographics section on commonapp.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>All applications ask for citizenship status.</p>
<p>It doesn’t matter that you are a dual citizen, it only matters that you are a US citizen.</p>
<p>It is being AA that will make you a URM, not being Jamaican.</p>
<p>The definition of URM varies between colleges as some minorities are underrepresented in certain colleges. For instance, while often considered an ORM, some Asians are considered URMs at some colleges, particularly rural LACs that have a harder time recruiting and retaining them.</p>
<p>AAs are considered URMs at just about all colleges, but be aware that competition at highly selective colleges is considerable for all races/ethnicities.</p>
<p>It sounds like the OP only mentioned his/her Jamaican nationality on the commonapp. I am guessing they would pick up the error though if a FAFSA was filed or he/she entered their ssn.</p>
<p>@entomom Thank you for your answer and I’m aware but a little edge is better than no edge at all :)</p>
<p>@nocknock Thanks for your answer too and on the common app I put US dual citizen and I did put my ssn and send in a fafsa which apparently means I’ll be considered a urm</p>
<p>Thanks everyone!</p>
<p>" but be aware that competition at highly selective colleges is considerable for all races/ethnicities."</p>
<p>There are web sites where you can plug in your gpa, test scores, ECs, etc, and they will give you an approximate % of your acceptance chances. By merely switching ethnicity from white to black, your chances at many colleges (including the big-name colleges) improve SIGNIFICANTLY. Like 10% to 60% at some schools.</p>
<p>^Questions for these websites:</p>
<p>What are the algorithms they use for predictions?</p>
<p>How much data are their models based on and where do they get it?</p>
<p>What are their rates of accurate prediction?</p>
<p>How do they quantify ECs, essays, LORs, etc.</p>
<p>How do they account for rigor of coursework, differences in grading & ranking, and other HS specific questions?</p>
<p>How do they deal with differences within and between different racial and ethnic groups; eg. country of origin, SES, overcoming adversity, participation within the community, etc.?</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>White and black are races, not ethnicities.</p>
<p>Are you referring to Parchment? That’s a really, really limited site in the sense that most of the schools using the site are from more well-off areas not chained as much by state restrictions. There are a ton of factors involved in how many people report their results and what encourages those people to apply to certain schools, so I wouldn’t consider it too heavily. Yes, I’m saying the results are skewed, but that’s not to dismiss the impact in a more general sense. Anyway, glad the OP’s question was answered.</p>
<p>inb4 entomom</p>
<p>Edit: Not in before entomom :(</p>
<p>^Ha, I’ll try to hold off next time Skeezey!</p>
<p>The point is you’re dreaming if you think race/ethnicity/color/whatever doesn’t have a significant impact. It’s not just a minor factor or a tiebreaker.</p>
<p>Not every college. For example, California and Florida public universities do not consider race and ethnicity in freshman admissions. Schools where admission is determined by a formula of grades, rank, and/or test scores, and open admission community colleges also do not consider race or ethnicity.</p>
<p>It may be a big factor in admissions in some colleges, but it should be relied on by applicants, since the colleges where it may be a big factor often have very opaque admissions processes, so you really cannot tell from the outside.</p>
<p>Ok, no CA or FLa publics. That leaves only a few thousand others.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids Do you know any schools that consider intl applicants as URMs?</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>And I think the reason is this: URM status is given to domestic students as an attempt to rectify any “wrongs” that were done in this country that “held back” these people. I could be wrong, but that’s what I’ve guessed the reason to be to only extend URM status to domestic students.</p>
<p>The point is you’re dreaming if you think race/ethnicity/color/whatever doesn’t have a significant impact. It’s not just a minor factor or a tiebreaker.</p>
<p>Actually, many/most state schools are forbidden from considering race/color/etc. And most colleges are public.</p>
<p>“Actually, many/most state schools are forbidden from considering race/color/etc. And most colleges are public.”</p>
<p>Many/most? Are you sure about this?</p>