<p>On the common app, the race/ethnicity place is optional. If you don't fill out this race/ethnicity, will it negatively affect your application? For example, if someone is asian, and they don't want to fill out the race/ethnicity because they know that they will have a harder time getting accepted, will it work?</p>
<p>It will likely result in being considered as the least favorable race or ethnicity at any given school, if it makes any difference at that particular school.</p>
<p>If you don’t want to answer the question because you think it’ll put you at a disadvantage, answer it. If your answer would put you at a disadvantage, so will the absence of one.</p>
<p>However, those who don’t want to answer because they have some other objection to answering shouldn’t feel that they have to answer it (and may choose to explain their reasoning depending on what it is).</p>