I tried finding other posts, but seemed most people weren’t registered.
I am a registered Native American (Cherokee tribe), but only have about 25%.
Should I be checking off that I am white or native? What difference does it make to colleges?
Why not check both?
I do when there is the option to, but I was mainly wondering if being native made any difference.
If you are registered Native American, then you are an Under represented minority (URM) and it is a great advantage (hook) for most schools which consider race/ethnicity in their admission decisions.
I think it will make a difference. Especially since you are registered.
It qualifies you as a minority, so yes.
With reasonably good scores and grades, it is about the best hook possible. Depending on the university, you may get free/reduced tuition and special scholarships too. For instance, Michigan gives free tuition to all NA Michigan residents at public colleges.
I am glad I came across this. My bf has an (adopted daughter) from his ex wife that is 100% Native American. I need her to see this. She lives on the reservation in North Dakota .
Anyone who is registered with a tribe absolutely should indicate this heritage when applying to college. The amount of difference it makes will vary by school, but it will always be a factor in your favor to some degree (as it should be).
If you have a tribal registry number it is according to legend the golden ticket. Absolutely check it off if you are 25%.
For most URM you need to be 25% to be considered that minority (AA or Hispanic), I believe for NA you have to be registered with a tribe period but double check this. While you should have safeties and targets, consider some reaches as well.
It is true – it is a fantastic hook.
It will get your tuition waived at the University of Minnesota - Morris.
http://onestop.morris.umn.edu/aid/scholarshipswaivers/americanindiantuition/
You can check more than one category.
@Embem04 It does at Dartmouth College, look into their Native American Community Programme
This. All of it.
What? Where does this information come from?
Yes, use your heritage to your advantage. Good luck!
There is no 25% rule or any percent rule. The guidelines for determining whether one is a URM are simply those used by the federal government in describing minorities for census purposes, and those guidelines say little except that the person is one who has “origins” in a paritcular group, e.g., for Native Americans, those who have origins in the original peoples of America. To a great extent it is simply a self-identify rule. You should likely check the box if you are aware of your heritage and actually identify yourself with the applicable group, otherwise not, e.g., there are probably large numbers of Americans today who identify themselves as “Caucasian” Americans who have no idea that they have in part descended from a Native or African American.
As to whether it helps to check the box as a Native American depends on college but the vast majority consider African Americans, Native Americans (including Pacific Islanders), and Hispanic Americans as URM’s for whom their minority status is considered as one favorable factor in determining admission. There are colleges that offically do not consider minority status – usually certain public universities subject to state laws prohibiting such consideration such as the UC’s – but those are still required to ask the questions about racial or ethnic origin that you find in applications to colleges. Those questions are actually required to be asked (but not required to be answered) under federal regulations adopted for the purpose of gathering data used to report on minoirties.
While it is generally self-identification, some schools or situations do require tribal enrollment or registration (which the OP does have) to be counted as Native American.
The 25% “rule” most likely also comes up because the National Hispanic Recognition Program requires you to have at least 1 grandparent from a Hispanic country meaning you must be at least 25% Hispanic to earn that recognition.
I believe there are some NA tribes that also have a %age requirement for registration.