<p>After reading tokenadult's thread about race in college admissions, this seems like a reasonable thing to do. If Asians/Whites choose to identify with mankind as a whole, colleges can't compare them to other Asian/White applicants - generally more competitive pools. However, there seems to be little discussion on the merits of this decision.</p>
<p>If you think you need to, do it. I didn’t do it, and I’m asian.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if there’s necessarily an advantage in doing this. From other stuff I’ve read on CC, adcoms would just believe you’re white or Asian.</p>
<p>see: [Should</a> Chinese Ivy Applicant Skip Ethnicity Question? - Ask The Dean](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/should-chinese-ivy-applicant-skip-ethnicity-question.htm]Should”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/should-chinese-ivy-applicant-skip-ethnicity-question.htm)</p>
<p>^Thanks for the responses. The link was very useful. I’m just going to state my Asian ethnicity.</p>
<p>^ I disagree with the Ask the Dean column. If a college admission officer is allowed to think that way on the job, that is a violation of law that should be reported to the Office for Civil Rights at the Department of Education. </p>
<p>[Know</a> Your Rights](<a href=“http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/know.html]Know”>Know Your Rights) </p>
<p>I don’t think Harvard makes this mistake, because Harvard admits students making up 14 percent of their class each year who are still reported as “race unknown” even after they enroll, after an admission process that includes personal interviews in all but the rarest cases. </p>
<p>[College</a> Search - Harvard College - At a Glance](<a href=“College Search - BigFuture | College Board”>College Search - BigFuture | College Board)</p>
<p>I often refuse to answer race questions, because of my belief that I should identify with all of mankind. That said, I don’t do so on government documents and I won’t on college applications (let them collect their demographics), unless they have “Anglo-Saxon” instead of “White” or “Caucasian” (I am NOT Anglo-Saxon), which is rare now. Plus, if I did, my last name that starts with “Mc” and my interest in Irish history and language would probably give me away.</p>
<p>You know, if you are asian/white they can usually tell by the last name…about 99% of the time.</p>
<p>^I wouldn’t say 99%. A lot of white people have last names that a lot of black people also have (common ones, and other ones through marriage of interracial parents and such). But yeah, if they want to find out, they likely will. I guess the point is to hope that they just won’t care that much. But I’m very much proud of my Irish heritage, so I would never hide it just because I thought it would help me a little.</p>