My both of my parents were born in Europe, one in Poland and one in Germany… However, on my moms side, her grandmother is the daughter of Spanish immigrants… so in theory… am I hispanic? If I bubble in yes, and they see that both of my parents were born in European countries they’ll think I’m lying… so is it even worth it?
You’re five generations removed from anything hispanic right? Or has your mom carried on the traditions for you and your family? Then your shifting ethics are of serious concern. I hope your LOR writers don’t know this side of you or those letters will sink you.
I’ll be blunt. Anyone who tells you YES is only doing it so you’ll fail in this terrible scheme.
Let me get this straight:
Your great-great-grandparents are from Spain, and u think that because of that remote link, your heritage will contribute to the ethnic diversity of the college? Right…
@T26E4 … I know a kid whose mother was born in spain because her parents were on vacation… shes 100% American (irish)… and shes in yale
Post #3: I really doubt that was because of her mother being born in Spain, though. You’re Jewish, right? That’s probably what you should put on the application, not the ethnicity of a distant relative. 
I agree with other posters that this kind of stretching to claim URM status is unethical and to T26E4’s point can easily backfire.
However I know students who have claimed URM status where it was stretching things, at least based on what I know about them, and gotten into Harvard and other top schools. I don’t know how much effect that had on admissions, and I’m just going on what I know about these students which isn’t exhaustive, but still it’s something I’ve seen.
OP: you asked the question: would H think you’re lying through your teeth and is it worth it. I’ve already given you my opinion. You seem not to like it. Fine. Go forth with whatever you deem acceptable. No skin off my back.
Look at this young lady’s magical “blackness”. She’ll be applying alongside you it seems.
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/profile/harvard629
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/18570216/#Comment_18570216
I would not claim the status, if you have not identified as such before going anywhere near the college apps.
Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race, so being Hispanic without being URM (and you are not URM) will have no benefit. The raised eyebrows of the AO’s in seeing you Hispanic claim will probably do you no favors in the long-run.
Let’s look at it this way,
my great-great grandmother was born in Spain.
She immigrated to Mexico with her husband and my great grandmother.
Great grandmother married a native Mexican and had a child-my grandmother.
Grandma then married a native Mixtec Indian and had my mother.
My mother married a native tex-mex, Native American,mane they had me.
I have 3 children who have carried on the tradition of a Spanish, Mexican and Native American culture.
So, when my children claim “Hispanic” on their forms, they are exactly equal to you in cultural background? Race? Traditions? There is no way you can honestly claim Hispanic as of this date and time. It’s a lie to try to get you into a college that doesn’t merit your lack of integrity.
FWIW: don’t claim to be something you’re not because it will hit you back fiercely.
My children intentionally did not apply to schools claiming AA because they wanted to get in on their own merit. Their school records have them documented, by the federal government, as being Hispanic since entering elementary school. Then we filled out forms indicating primary and secondary languages. IOW: it’s on public record.
You
Hispanic? !Por favor! !olvidate!
@T26E4 WITH ALL DUE RESPECT… and i most likely wont put hispanic… I just wanted to ask…
BUT THIS LADY PUT DOWN SHES BLACK… http://itooamharvard.■■■■■■■■■■/image/78254997187 … yeah… I get that harvard has this whole love affair for black people… BUT MY MOTHER IS DARKER THAN HER!! how could you claim to understand the trials and tribulations of Black people being BLOND… WHITE AS SNOW… AND TAKING PART IN #ITOOAMHARVARD .
and with all due respect again… if shes black… I as a jew… am a native american asian mexican gogo dancer
@radmadeline There’s nothing worse for Harvard than being Jewish.
I honestly thought people from Spain were considered caucasian/European…and only certain Latin/South American and a Carribean country or two are “Hispanic”? (To me, there is a big difference where URM is concerned. In those countries, those of European ancestry are still generally quite privileged.)
Learn something new every day!
Although I don’t agree with anyone with the OP’s background using Hispanic in their college app, I have heard people, who have never identified themselves as Hispanic, to use it to get into elite schools.
Here is a good link to a thread that discusses Hispanic use for college app and URM status:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/641650-hispanic-latino-defined-aka-am-i-hispanic.html
I don’t believe you have to report your ethnicity at all, and if I recall correctly that should be the same for your religious affiliation as well. So if you’re not entirely sure of what to put for your ethnicity or you don’t want to tell them you’re Jewish you don’t have to. It’d be better not to report at all than put something that’s a long shot.
http://itooamharvard.■■■■■■■■■■/image/78254997187 OP: you really don’t want to go down that route. To assume the woman you cited in the tumblr image ISN’T black due to her light skin – you know nothing about her.
I surely wouldn’t be so naïve as to comment one way or another. The fact that you want to seem to make her assertion any way related to your scheme here reflects very poorly about you, to be frank. You’re the one who cited your 5 generations removed relationship to a Spanish born ancestor.
“With all due respect. If she’s black…” OMG: you know NOTHING about that Harvard student. As a matter of fact, her sign is directed at people just like you.
I know people with one black parent who, at first glance, could pass as Swedish. As I warned before, if this cultural insensitivity seeps out normally, your LORs will you no favors. Perhaps you weren’t expecting the firestorm around your “innocent” inquiry. But again, this may show how disconnected you are from real issues that non-whites face in our society.
When you can hold up a sign and stare down someone for questioning your hispanic heritage, that’s when you should check off hispanic. I would rather think that if the next family gathering, you declare “I’m hispanic” youd be met with incredulous stares or laughter
@Verizonwireless: If your SAT scores were above 2100, then you wouldn’t be grasping at straws asking questions like this one.
Wow. I have faith that the things keeping you out of H will not be your Hispanic/non-Hispanic status. If I’m mistaken, well, just so long as it’s H and not Y :))
To be hispanic (ethnically) in the eyes of colleges, you have to be 1/4 hispanic/latino. Meaning one of your grandparents was born in Latin America or a hispanic country.
To make such a general comment about each and every college and university in the United States is inaccurate. Certainly there are some colleges, as well as several scholarship programs, that use a blood quantum definition, but it is by no means universal. If there were a universal definition, we would not have dozens of these type of threads every year.