<p>We have started looking at school for my daughter for the future. And I was filling out an information request form, and it came to the part where they ask for a race. I had never really given it any thought, she is bi-racial. I am caucasian and and my spouse is American Indian. </p>
<p>How important of an answer is this on her forms and applications? We will require financial aid, or she will not be able to attend any boarding school.</p>
<p>Being a minority could be a help or a hindrance. A lot of people on CC refer to Asians being an over represented minority(ORM) because of how many apply in a given year. I would just tell them your daughter’s race and see what happens. I’m not sure if Caucasian and American Indian would be an ORM or an under represented minority(URM). That answer isn’t going to make or break your daughter’s opportunity to go. If she’s considered an ORM by the school, then she’ll just be in a more competitive pool of applicants.</p>
<p>@MAbound, Im part of an URM, and applied to schools where there was 1 or none student from my country, still rejected at most schools, I think it might not mean that much, but who knows, it might depend on what they look for each year?</p>
<p>Just tell them the truth. I’m an Asian-American, and it was thought as a hindrance…but I still got in, with normal grades, etc. Just try your hardest, and let the chips fall as they may! :)</p>
<p>I think that American Indians are a under-represented minority. At least, I believe they are in the collage application cycle; it may apply here as well.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>I agree with Golden that American Indians are a under-represented minority. As such, it may help somewhat. That being said, of course being qualified on all other fronts is most important.
T</p>
<p>Can you clarify if you mean “native american” or American of Indian (Indo-Pak subcontinent) descent.</p>
<p>I would think being half the former would be help (URM) and the latter would be a hindrance (ORM).</p>
<p>Oh, I just assumed the former…it would be nice if MAbound clarified, though. :)</p>
<p>Sorry, yes, Native American.</p>
<p>I think that it can be a tie-breaker between two applicants, but that it will not make-or-break an application. Overall, the rest of the application matters more (seat, grades, essay, interview) than your nationality. Just being and ORM will not get you rejected, and simply being an URM wouldn’t automatically get you in. It matters a little bit, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it.</p>
<p>Someone can tell me if there is a difference between the Asian and the Asian-American in the way the admissions office views them? My son is an Asian-American. (born in Asia and raised/educated in America, naturalized and English is his first language.) Someone told me he would be considered ORM.</p>
<p>Probably a more compelling concern is that if you are an Asian applicant, you might compete in the same pool with Asian applicants and many of them have almost 99% SSAT and 4.0 GPAs, because the schools would generally build the class. But what about the Asian American? Confusing…</p>
<p>@patronyork: I am not an admissions officer nor do I play one on TV. However, I am the Asian father of a BS student of Asian descent (born here, raised here)…and here’s how I would guess how “Asians” and “Asian Americans” are considered:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Asians…as in born and raised (and generally currently living in/citizens of) in Asia would be considered International students first, then their country of origin is considered</p></li>
<li><p>Asian Americans (who I think many on the forum and in real life simply term “Asians”) are domestic students (and thus generally eligible for financial aid that their international counterparts may not be) who then have to compete against the pool of other Asian American applicants (but not necessarily against their international counterparts).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>I think your son WOULD be considered an ORM. But here’s the thing…worrying about that won’t help him get in anywhere. However, being aware of the fact that he will be competing against a very tough pool of similar applicants might lead you to consider a wider variety of schools than you perhaps were initially intending. Maybe consider schools that doesn’t get a bazillion Asian American applicants…so that means NOT Exeter or Andover.</p>
<p>I was told point blank by an AO at a “HADES” school that the Asian (I took this to mean Asian American) girl applicant pool was the toughest one…just too many qualified candidates.</p>
<p>I am personally of the opinion that most immigrant parents place a very high value on the perceived “status/prestige” of a school (and college)…so stick to the more famous schools.</p>
<p>@SevenDad</p>
<p>Thank you for your insights and opinions that gave me a good idea. Sorry that I did not mention that my son applied and was accepted this March. He did not apply to HADES schools but was accepted to the ones of similar caliber in CA. Some of my friends ask me the same questions over and over and I wasn’t exactly sure. And your comment would help me a lot. Thank you again ~~</p>