<p>Just because it is all over the world does not mean that it is acceptable. Should we ignore poverty and disease as well?</p>
<p>i dunno, tyler09, what you say sounds reasonable, but if it's true it ruins all my application plans for next year...
on another note, indians can put caucasian as their race because technically north indians have the same genetic composition and bone structure as caucasians</p>
<p>I don't believe it is generally true what Tyler09 says.
Sure, when an applicant's name sounds Asian or when something else suggests that he might be Asian (his neighborhood, or maybe something as simple as a high interest in sciences) that might be true, but I doubt that someone with an Italian name will be assumed to be Asian.
On a side note, I have also known an Hispanic girl who did not report her ethnicity because she was afraid of being discriminated against. You don't hear too much about the potential advantages of being a URM in average public high schools (at least not two years ago, maybe things have changed in the meantime).</p>
<p>Finally, some reason and common sense applied to this overdramaticized issue! Good point TehRank.</p>
<p>lol, thanks LakeWashington. But I think it's funny when people say there is overt asian discrimination when they are 300% of their population in top universities. </p>
<p>Besides you cannot say that we are all humans and that this is unfair, if again you are only complaining or fighting for your own group's cause. You need to complain when blacks don't get called back for jobs, when women are passed up for promotion and all the countless other forms of discrimination against certain groups of people (Asians, hispanic, white or whatever). If we are truly all human, stand up for humans and not for select groups. Don't be so selfish.</p>
<p>Definitely check multi-racial. Adcoms might even think he's hispanic :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Definitely check multi-racial.
[/quote]
If there was a box for multi-racial, that would be the way to go, but there is no such box (at least not on the CommonApp).</p>
<p>Either check everything you are or nothing. I seem to recall that the Common Apps ethnicity question is optional.</p>
<p>"On a side note, I have also known an Hispanic girl who did not report her ethnicity because she was afraid of being discriminated against. You don't hear too much about the potential advantages of being a URM in average public high schools (at least not two years ago, maybe things have changed in the meantime)."</p>
<p>It will be nice to know why a Hispanic girl would be afraid of reporting ethinicity?
I thought it can only provide advantage in the admission process.
Isn't Hispanic be considered a URM?</p>
<p>It is but that does not mean that everyone is aware of that.</p>
<p>b@r!um: Fair statement but it was not clear.</p>
<p>How so?/*********/</p>
<p>
[quote]
It never occurred to me to omit ethnicity on the application? Is this fairly commonplace? Is it a good idea?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Unfortunately, this is more common than you think (cheating is rampant - why would this area be that much different?).</p>
<p>tehrahk -
[quote]
I don't think it's harder for Asians to get into highly selective schools. I think it's just hard for ALL asians to get into highly selective schools. Asian-Americans are only 5 percent of the population but represent about 15 percent of many entering classes at the top universities. It's almost like they are competing for a predetermined space in the class.</p>
<p>But I think it's funny when people say there is overt asian discrimination when they are 300% of their population in top universities.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You, like many others, are applying the WRONG facts to this issue.</p>
<p>Asian-Americans make up 30% of the highest qualified applicants and yet, the % of Asians who make up the student body at the Ivy Leagues is around 16%.</p>
<p>tyler -
[quote]
Because no college wants gross over representation of any ethnic group so in order to avoid that they have to take into account that a certain percentage of asians leave the box blank, so they essentially evaluate that a certain percentage of blank box applications as if they were Asian canidates. </p>
<p>and it's not really racism, its equal representation. The colleges are just trying to spread higher education equally among all groups.---but i can see how it can feel unfair.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>So why do Jews who make up 1.5% of the college age pop. make up about 26% of the Ivy League student body and at certain schools nearly 40% (and let's say Jewish applicants are among the highest qualified at the same rate as Asians - that would make 9% of the highest qualified applicants Jewish - still a vast overrepresentation and one at a significantly greater multiple than that for Asians)?</p>
<p>Do you really think if Jews looked different from whites -that we would still be seeing schools with a near 40% Jewish student body (or what about if blacks and non-white Hispanics were the highest qualified group - would we see schools w/ 50-60% black/hispanic student bodies?).</p>
<p>And why are black students from immigrant families from Africa and the Caribbean overrepresented at the top universities in comparison to African-American students?</p>
<p>I would suggest your son leave the optional race/ethnicity questions blank. If he's already indicated that he is of Asian descent on AP/SATs, there isn't much you can do about it at this point. My guess would be that colleges don't check AP/SAT ethnicity categories all that closely, but I don't know.</p>
<p>
[quote]
It never occurred to me to omit ethnicity on the application? Is this fairly commonplace? Is it a good idea?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>terrygreg,</p>
<p>It's starting to become more common for Asian students to not check the Asian box on applications.</p>
<p>A study by Mssr. Espenshade and Chung, which was not discredited (), showed that Asians are treated in elite admissions *as if their SAT scores were fifty points lower.</p>
<p>In addition, there have been several articles in the past year (e.g. "Too Asian?" (<a href="http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/10/10/asian)%5B/url%5D">http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/10/10/asian)</a>, "Poison Ivy" (The Economist), etc.) that document biases against Asians in admissions.</p>
<p>It's frequently charged that this is a minor issue, that Asians should "get over it," and that there is more severe racism in our nation. I remind these people that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.</p>
<p>I myself am considering changing my last name to hide my Asian background. I do not consider it shameful in any way. Kirk Douglas was born Issur Danielovitch. Natalie Portman used to be Natalie Hershlag. Martin Sheen's birth surname is Estevez.</p>
<p>I can speak the language of my ancestors, and I am proud of my heritage, which spans over five millenia. At the same time, I must consider the possibility that I will be subject to some bias from bigots, whether they are for "diversity" or against it.</p>
<p>(*)</p>
<p>Why would Dr. Massey cite their study in one of his recent papers and not mention its supposed fatal flaws?</p>
<p>If his last name is Hispanic what is wrong with checking off Hispanic? Based on my classes in Ethnic Studies and the articles I have read about ethnicity, this is a legit option. Dont quote me on it though.</p>
<p>I agree with k&s--it's misconception, and quite frankly it's usually racism that states that there's "overrepresentation" of Asians.</p>
<p>Whenever spots are taken for Asians, people cry foul, but if you notice... it's partially because it cuts into the Black/Hispanic/etc admissions. White admissions, except for certain cases like the UC system, are generally untouched. If you look at the raw numbers for many universities, this becomes quite clear.</p>
<p>In any case, I'm generally not a big believer in pushing for divisiveness in race, but this is one case that I make an exception.</p>
<p>The ethnicity question, if answered honestly, is basically NEVER your friend, URM or not, except for very special cases. Are you a hard working URM, who slaves away with school at the same time as supporting your entire family? That's noble, but unfortunately, there's already quite a few of those, and only about three slots for them.</p>
<p>They're looking for the hard working URM now that put a little less time there, and a little bit more winning a prominent science competition, to have diversity.</p>
<p>Generally, my view is, be honest on everything in the application--being genuine helps you more than anything else, because it usually shines through--everything except for the ethnicity question.</p>
<p>If you have an obviously ethnic last name, you're out of luck, but otherwise, do whatever is most advantageous to you. It's a terrible question to have anyway.</p>
<p>There are a lot of Asian kids that are adopted by white families with Caucasian last names, what should they check, Asian or Caucasian?</p>
<p>ok, so u are right for sure. its really hard for asians to get into good schools unless they are valedictorians or tops in their schools. im also korean, and i had high stats, however, i was not able to go to ucla, berkeley, or usc, only irvine. so if yur asian, u need to be super smart, or f**** it, don't even stress yurself out, yur gonna go to a college anyways, don't work hard to try and get into a great school if u aren't getting good grades right now. </p>
<p>and i recommend he only fill in greek, italian, finnish. omg that is incredible, im pretty sure he will get into great schools, just don't put korean or asian. i have a couple black friends who i always joked with, and always said i was an incredibly smart person, and their going to ucla and berkeley, cuz their black and im asian. its affirmative action, and its true.</p>
<p>I disagree. The more asians deny being asian in college admissions, the tougher the competition for them will become. Because once again, colleges don't want gross over representation of any race (they can't really account for jews), when they begin to notice the percentage of asians on campus get to out of proportion, the less they're going to pursue asians in admissions, it just becomes a vicious cycle that only hurts the generations coming under you.</p>
<p>I think that a lot of people for get that colleges are trying to build an entire "class", not necessarily just pick all the academically strongest individuals. And in that class, no top college considers having 40% asians, even if they are the most academically qualified, ideal. The colleges don't want that. It's kind of selfish to try to force your way in. If a college didn't accept you its because you didn't fit into their ideal mold. They don't have any obligations to accept anybody. </p>
<p>If you don't like the way a private college shapes its class, then why are you applying there?</p>
<p>^^^above post^^^
-Cal doesn't practice affirmative action, they can't consider race in admissions. That's why the black % is only like 2% and 4%. So they must've done something better than you.</p>