Can I select other on college applications if I'm Eastern Indian?

<p>I know technically I'm Asian, but I have heard racial biases exist against Asians.</p>

<p>Don’t use deception to try to get in to the universities. The ad coms are smart and will see what you are trying to do.</p>

<p>I wouldn’t describe it as deception, since it’s unfair that there is a basis against Asians and how would they see what I’m trying to do?</p>

<p>You’re probably right so I’ll end up choosing Asian, I’m just wondering</p>

<p>you can not select anything but I have a hunch that is a turn off for them</p>

<p>In another thread, you mentioned these schools: Seattle University, University of Washington Bothell, University of Portland, University of British Columbia Vancouver, and Washington State University Pullman</p>

<p>None of them give a flip about your ethnicity. Your transcript and GPA will go into their logarithm and a YES/NO answer will be spit out. The supposed “anti-asian” bias is a textured discussion about the supposed cap on Asians at the most selective schools (think HYPS, etc.). The suite of colleges you’re targeting want two things. 1) students that meet a minimum academic requirement and 2) students who can pay. You can be from Bangladesh or Neptune. They want to know you meet 1 & 2 only.</p>

<p>If your name reflects your heritage, just check the Asian box. That shows character.</p>

<p>If you don’t identify with any of the categories then there is an option to write in your own category. Our kids did this. Technically we’re “white” but the option was something like “white European” and we’re not actually white Europeans, so they wrote in their own category. The question actually asks what category you identify with, so if you don’t identify with any of the categories, you should be allowed to write what you do identify with.</p>

<p>@T26E4‌ Oh, I didn’t know they used logarithms, thanks! I just thought it mattered bc they all have race under “considered” but I guess that’s just a formality or comes into play later.</p>

<p>Yes, you can always check “other” or whatever box there is for not wanting to state, or not caring to state. </p>

<p>Any college/university that receives funding from the US federal government (even if it is only the case of accepting federal student aid) is obligated to ask about race and ethnicity. This keeps the US Dept of Education happy. If every applicant checks “other”, then that is what the college/university will report, and everyone will still be happy.</p>