Does being Asian American help or hurt your chances at getting in at top schools?

Applying to College
21

<p>It depends on the school and you have to do your OWN research on that. Again, for the millionth time....you need to examine a list of schools (starting with about 20 or so...then narrow it down to the top 10-12, then apply to 8-10 tops) and see where you FIT the best: academically, socially, emotionally, culturally, economically, geographical factors including weather etc. Because in the end YOUR happiness and success are better served by FIT than by so called PRESTIGE! If you get into MIT and find out you are miserable (or any other elite school), then what have you gained?</p>

<p>Visit the schools you like and THINK you fit in. Talk to people: faculty, administrators and students. And just look around and see how many happy faces you see, what you examine in the library.....I can tell you my D took a few schools OFF of her list after visiting.....and seeing it was an obvious POOR fit for her. </p>

<p>One size ("Prestige") does not fit all.</p>

<p>What you should be aiming for is "where can I go where I will be super happy, super challenged without being overwhelmed and distressed, and hae a reasonable chance at being at the top of my game....graduating with honors or Phi Beta Kappa or whatever?" That may or may not be a top 20 school.</p>

<p>It may be in your backyard and it may be in another region of the country. It may be a school that has a high percentage of Asians or one with very few asians. Everyone is different and everyone has different needs. I know asians who have to be around other asians to be happy. I know other asians who couldnt care less and MOST of their friends are in fact NOT asians. I know kids who have to be around brilliant people 24/7. I know people who are better off and happier around well balanced kids who are bright and ambitious but not necessarily budding Nobel Laureates.</p>

<p>Some people prefer to be in a HUGE state school with incredible Division I sports. Some people prefer a very small and intimate private college where every professor knows your name and becomes as much a friend as your roomate. </p>

<p>One size does NOT fit all. But if you are a prestige seeker....you will be disappointed. And I hate to generalize, but a lot of asians (though not all) have this obsession with prestige. Perhaps its because in China (for example) getting a good job depends on the prestige of the institution you attend. I dunno. But its unhealthy. College is a HUGE part academics, but its also about meeting people and future business colleagues, growing up socially and emotionally, and diversity of backgrounds and opinions. NONE of that has ANYTHING to do with USNWR rankings and prestige.</p>

<p>I am not saying you cant obtain that at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT, Stanford or the other Ivy or elite LAC's like Williams or Wellesley or Wesleyan. To the contrary, you will likely have a great experience at all those colleges. But it really matters more about fit than it does about pure prestige. </p>

<p>I know kids who went to U Delaware because their chemistry program is so superb. You see what I mean?</p>

22

<p>Thanks for the reply friedokra. My first choice is Brown and, unfortunately, my heart is set on it. I say unfortunately because I don't know where I'll want to go if I don't get in. I'll be applying to Harvard, Yale, MIT, Dartmouth, UPenn, and Cornell, in addition to Brown. My other schools that aren't incredibly prestigious are: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Johns Hopkins University, and maybe Georgetown University. My parents want me to apply to Harvard and Yale just for the heck of it. The other schools I am truly interested in. Please don't think I'm in this for prestige. I just want to go to a place where I am getting one of the best educational experiences around and feel surrounded by intellectuals. I am unsure of what I want to major in, but I think that Brown's curriculum and atmosphere will allow me to explore and sort of "find myself," if you will. I've visited Tufts and Williams and found them to not really fit me, so I've taken them off my app list. I know that prestige is not what will make me happy for four years, so obviously I don't want to choose a college based on prestige. I just want to go to a place where I feel like I belong, academically and socially. This thread was started only because many of the schools I'm considering are top schools, but it does not necessarily mean that the only schools I WILL consider are "top" schools.</p>

23

<p>
[quote]
It may be in your backyard and it may be in another region of the country. It may be a school that has a high percentage of Asians or one with very few asians. Everyone is different and everyone has different needs. I know asians who have to be around other asians to be happy. I know other asians who couldnt care less and MOST of their friends are in fact NOT asians. I know kids who have to be around brilliant people 24/7. I know people who are better off and happier around well balanced kids who are bright and ambitious but not necessarily budding Nobel Laureates.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Agreed. I'm Asian and I'm obsessed.</p>

24

<p>The reason that people believe that being Asian may be a disadvantage is the concern that schools may use wholistic admissions to ensure that the percentage of Asians does not too greatly exceed their prevalence in the population (as they do to try to increase the percentage of URMs). This assumes that without this thumb on the scale that there would be more Asians in the class, based on the perception that Asians will have, on average, higher stats. It's possible that this is done explicitly (i.e, "we have too many Asians") or implicitly, as by emphasizing application elements that are less common among Asians--certain types of ECs.</p>

25

<p>
[quote]
Did you "infer" that or actually look at the College Board link I provided? Asian-Americans only have the highest scores in math.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>At Ivy League universities, Asian-American applicants have the HIGHEST overall standardized scores but have the LOWEST admit rate.</p>

<p>
[quote]
They just word it that they want an "interesting and diverse" freshman class.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That "rationale"/excuse is total BS.</p>

<p>
[quote]
The reason that people believe that being Asian may be a disadvantage is the concern that schools may use wholistic admissions to ensure that the percentage of Asians does not too greatly exceed their prevalence in the population (as they do to try to increase the percentage of URMs).

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The irony of this is that Princeton is purported to have the most "holistic" admissions standards of all the Ivies - but unlike Yale, Harvard, Penn, etc. - the % of Asian students at Princeton is actually greater than that of Jewish students (tho, arguably, the percentages of both student groups at Princeton are low in comparison to its Ivy peers).</p>

26

<p>well, there are more Asians than Jews in America, I think.</p>

27

<p>Is there statistical evidence showing that Asian American applicants have the lowest admit rate at ivy league universities?</p>

<p>I'm not challenging your claim, by the way. In fact, I've always thought it to be true, but I have never seen hard facts to really back it up.</p>

28

<p><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2006/11/26/victim_of_success/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2006/11/26/victim_of_success/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>telling article.</p>

29

<p>that's a really great article. Thanks.</p>

30

<p>
[quote]
At Ivy League universities, Asian-American applicants have the HIGHEST overall standardized scores but have the LOWEST admit rate.

[/quote]

You cited the second part of that statement. Do you have a citation for the first part?</p>

31

<p>Does it help or hurt? To Ivies, it certainly hurts. The way ethnicity works for applicants from my school to the Ivies is like this (and this is common knowledge in my school):</p>

<p>Asian-much harder
Mixes with Asian blood - usually treated as Asian, especially if last name is obviously Asian
White(mostly Jewish)-neutral
Mixes with no Asian blood - treated like Black/Latino, huge advantage there
Black/Latino-much easier</p>

32

<p>what about mixes with asian blood that's also white, jewish, and latino? help any?</p>

33

<p>Wow you're overanalyzing it.</p>

<p>they don't have a formula or anything. And being Asian doesn't have the HUGE impact that people on CC say it does. </p>

<p>just put down whatever race you identify with, or whatever you put down when you took the SAT/ACT</p>

34

<p>
[quote]
what about mixes with asian blood that's also white, jewish, and latino? help any?

[/quote]

According to my calculations, such a mix will have a 16.1247642% chance at top schools.</p>

35

<p>i honestly dont know lots about the subject, but since i am a latina , this also concerns me majorly. i personally know that ivey leagues do take that into account, since a amjor percent of peopel addmited are americans.</p>

36

<p>
[quote]
i personally know that ivey leagues do take that into account, since a amjor percent of peopel addmited are americans.

[/quote]

  1. Most people who apply are American, so it makes sense that most people who are admitted are American.</p>

<ol>
<li>HYP are the only Ivies need-blind for internationals, so it stands to reason that the other Ivies admit fewer international students (at least, fewer who need $$$).</li>
</ol>

37

<p>
[quote]
well, there are more Asians than Jews in America, I think.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>And more precisely, 5% of college-age pop. are Asian while Jews make up 1.5% of the college-age pop (and yet, Jews are substantially more overrepresented at the Ivies).</p>

<p>
[quote]
You cited the second part of that statement. Do you have a citation for the first part?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I’ve cited a no. of articles previously (and frankly, I’m too lazy to look them up).</p>

<p>
[quote]
Wow you're overanalyzing it.</p>

<p>they don't have a formula or anything. And being Asian doesn't have the HUGE impact that people on CC say it does. </p>

<p>just put down whatever race you identify with, or whatever you put down when you took the SAT/ACT

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Oh, please tyler – </p>

<p>I’ve debunked your “claims” many a time in previous posts.</p>

38

<p>Well, perhaps in some schools, being Asian does not significantly affect your chances. But when you go to a competitive HS with many Asian applicants to elite uni's, and a few blacks/latinos applying to the same uni's, the standards are just not the same between races.. I know I only have anecdotal data, but I think many people agree with me.</p>

39

<p>I'm not over-analyzing. did it ever occur to you that someone actually might have all of these mixes? I identify with each of these races, and am never sure what to put when i am told to "check a box."</p>

40

<p>did it ever occur to you that you can check as many as you want....</p>

<p>and k&s, i honestly have no idea what you're talking about. so step off.</p>