<p>i know affirmative action is very important to michigan. my grandpa is 100% mexican. that makes my dad 50% mexican and me 25% mexican.</p>
<p>my question: if i'm only 1/4 mexican can i put down mexican american for my ethnicity?</p>
<p>i know many schools don't do a background check to make sure you are what ethnicity you say you are, but just to be safe, would i be ok if they did do a check on me? it doesn't help that i have blonde hair and blue eyes.</p>
<p>I dont know if you know it or not but Michigna banned AA.</p>
<p>And one would hope you could get into Michigan without banking on your ancestor's ethnicity.</p>
<p>oh yeah i completely forgot about that court case. but ses, im pretty sure i would get accepted. i just read somewhere that a hispanic student is like 133 times more likely to get accepted than one of the same credentials who is white. i dont know how valid that statement is, but it got me thinking about it.</p>
<p>but just for giggles, would it work for another college?</p>
<p>Si no hablas espanol, no.</p>
<p>jaja, buen punto</p>
<p>muy comico. si, yo hablo espanol.</p>
<p>I'm the same as you. Grandmother was 100% Hispanic, which makes me 1/4 Hispanic. I feel very tied to my culture, however. For the PSAT National Hispanic Recognition you only need to be 1/4 Hispanic. I checked Hispanic..it's how you self-identify. You can be of any race and be Hispanic, too.</p>
<p>jpjaime, while that statistic may be true for many schools, that's definitely not how U of M works now (or even before to that extreme, for that matter).</p>
<p>
[quote]
And one would hope you could get into Michigan without banking on your ancestor's ethnicity.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>To be fair, the applicant pool has lots of candidates who have similar hopes: that being a resident of Michigan will help, that having a letter of rec from a senator will help, that having alum parents will help. It's a little harsh (to me) to reduce all those things down to "banking on X," just as I think it's unfair to accuse someone who asks about minority status as being someone who is just "banking on" their race. </p>
<p>For all that, the original response to the OP is correct--the Michigan voters have dictated that ethnicity may no longer be considered for admissions, except when there is federal money involved.</p>
<p>Play it up. It can only help you.</p>
<p>Yes, Michigan voters voted to eliminate AA at it's colleges and universities. However, it's clear to me from the huge number of deferred applicants that the university is keeping the door open as long as possible to try to get the class makeup it wants.</p>
<p>It's a rotten deal for the rest of us, but it's how they're operating (in my view). If you can, how can you not use it to your advantage?</p>
<p>I have to question how clear this can be to you. I think you're speculating, and it's not based on information, nor do I think it's based on some careful tracking you may have done on last year compared to this year. I don't think the numbers bear your claims out.</p>
<p>"Keeping the door open as long as possible" would be true if the Univeristy was putting off making its admits. Is that happening? You're also implying that more people have been deferred this year (post Prop 2) than last year (before Prop 2)? Is that true? </p>
<p>Finally, I think you should also keep in mind that the University is looking at a record year for applications. Might that not also have an effect on the number of students who have been deferred?</p>
<p>I base my comments on the letter my son received from UM when he was deferred (I'm paraphrasing now because I don't have the letter in front of me), that said the university had stopped it processing of applications because it was waiting for a court decision (I think that was in January). </p>
<p>A friend of mine in the legislature tells me some of the reps are not at all happy with how (they percieve) UM is trying to game the system and pull an endrun around Prop 2.</p>
<p>The University commenced making admits once the courts settled the issue. I have a general idea of what the letter said, but I don't think it would have transmitted the kind of information you're suggesting it did (i.e. they are holding spots open, while deferring more students than some prior year, so they can find a way to admit more minorities). Not only because they don't report mid-year numbers to applicants (or anyone else), but also because it is untrue.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the University will always attract the ire of a few legislators. The University does a lot of work communicating the University's value (and values) but the message is not always received or agreed with. Some don't like our courses, some don't like our policies for transfer credits, some don't like that we let in even one nonresident student. It would not surprise me to hear that some of them "perceive" that U-M is disobeying Prop 2. However, perception is not always reality. U-M may wish Prop 2 was not passed, but that doesn't mean it will refuse to follow the law.</p>
<p>@hoedown</p>
<p>Since you're on the inside, perhaps you can clarify why it's taking soooooooo long for so many kids to get a decision?</p>
<p>When I applied in the 1980s I got a reply back in three weeks. Same deal with my wife. By January and February everyone that I knew applied to UM had an answer. </p>
<p>My son tells me that of the ten kids in his class that he knows applied to UM all of them have been deferred.</p>
<p>Not one. </p>
<p>Not five.</p>
<p>All of them.</p>
<p>These are really, really bright kids at one of the better public high schools in the state (Michigan).</p>
<p>These kids and their parents are trying to plan their educational futures and it seems to me to be terribly unfair for UM to drag the process out for five and six months.</p>
<p>What about applying for loans scholarships and grants -- many of these deadlines are passing. What about kids that need to find a job? Or parents who are trying to figure out how much money they're going to need to come up with for the fall? Heck, what about kids that want to get into Michigan State? My kids was accepted there (in three weeks, no less) and is holding up a spot that could go to someone else.</p>
<p>All of this stuff is up in the air because UM's admissions process now takes upwards of half a year.</p>
<p>Speaking as a parent, third generation UM alum and Michigan taxpayer, I think it's pretty shabby treatment.</p>
<p>Thanks for letting me vent.</p>
<p>plan 2 happened --> no aa</p>
<p>I understand frustration with the timing.</p>
<p>I think there are a number of concerns to be raised about the 12-14 week timeline that some students encounter. </p>
<p>However, this is not a process determined by, or caused by, U-M's response to Prop 2. Deferrals are not new this year, nor is the timeline for some students.</p>
<p>If i can be reassuring on one issue: MSU, like U-M, adheres to the May 1 decision date. They do not expect your son to respond before then, and are likely not denying other students a spot in the class due to waiting for his response. Your family should not feel rushed and should take all the time you need (up until May 1) to make the appropriate decision from the choices available. I understand this would be easier if you have your U-M decision sooner. However, my point is that your family should not feel rushed--by any school--to respond before you have all the information you need about your choices. Sometimes schools will push students to respond earlier in regard to scholarships, but if they do this you should push back. By NACAC guidelines they must allow you until May 1 to accept an award (if you request it).</p>