Does my parents being refugees really appeal to colleges?

Applying to College
1

<p>Okay, so I have read tons of discussions about the how one's race, urm status blah blah helps an applicant in admissions. However, for my specific case -- I hear a lot of contradicting answers and I just want to see if some CCers can clear it up.</p>

<p>My parents are refugees from Afghanistan. Yes, Afghanistan. They were able to escape right after the Taliban came. Neither of my parents finished 9th grade, so I am technically considered first-generation. I am able to speak 3 languages, and had to work all 4 years in HS to help supplement my family's income.</p>

<p>How much is this going to help? Specifically, me being of Afghan descent? I have seen the statistics and the arguments saying that if you aren't a URM (Hispanic, NA, Black) then your ethnicity really doesn't help. So mine won't, or would it? I'm just asking this because although technically I would be classified as Caucasian (because all Middle Easterner are right) I have dealt with a lot of racism and prejudice while growing up, notably after 9/11. I have had everything from my best friends beating me up to even teacher openly attacking and ridiculing me in front of my whole class</p>

<p>Isn't the arguement for affirmative action or, what universities say "holistic review" suppose to consider an applicant's cultural, racial, and general life circumstances while growing up. I didn't talk about my experiences with racism and prejudice in my application, because frankly, I had positive things to talk about. I wanted to show them my accomplishments, not all my setbacks. </p>

<p>So, in the sum of this. I just want to know your opinion. Will the consider how my ethnicity probably did give me some setbacks in my life, or will it be just thrown aside because I don't increase the percentage of races in all their view books and common data sets? How much do you think the first-generation/low-income will affect me? I just to know if colleges really care about an applicants life situation or they just care about touting higher %s of "URMs"</p>

<p>To maybe put this into perspective, I'll just add the schools I am currently waiting on. They are all need-blind/meet 100% of demonstrated need.</p>

<p>UChicago (top choice!!)
Vandy
Wake Forest
URichmond
Duke (Trinity)
College of William & Mary (OOS)</p>

<p>Thanks a lot.</p>

2

<p>my mom was a refugee but i didnt mention it...
there really wasnt anywhere to mention it.</p>

3

<p>Everything depends. Parent refugee status will not get you into a college in itself. Sure, your parents were refugees, but you're probably an American citizen with no connections to Afghanistan. </p>

<p>It all depends on how you spin it. </p>

<p>Do it badly, and you get a stereotypical "immigrant parent" essay hoping to piggyback on the hardships encountered by the parents and how it allegedly affected the relatively comfortable American lifestyle you led for the last eighteen years. </p>

<p>Do it well, and you get a sincerely insightful essay interweaving the complexities of such a status, and the active role YOU played in forming your own ego identity. </p>

<p>The best writer can sell the most dull event into a headline (or FREE MEDICATIONS online SPAM)</p>

4

<p>Haha, thanks Gryffon. The essays that pertained to my background were written like your second example. My question was more arbitrary classification of my status. For example...one of the college I did apply to, they have a early notification for "multicultural applicants" and a little specific preview for them. My stats for that institution was in the 75% percentile for ALL applicants, and I did not receive an invitation. I was just wondering if colleges just automatically classify me as "Caucasian" and do not consider any specific hardships concerning my background.</p>

<p>I'm not trying to ride of my less-than-ideal socioeconomic situation to get me into college. Rather, I never even thought one's background had any bearings for admission till I joined this website! I just want to see what other CCers think on how much is does affect my chances, because my case isn't like what most people on CC have.</p>

<p>Oh, and Congratulation on Yale. That's a wonderful accomplishment! :)</p>

5

<p>The general rule of thumb I used when tackling my "hardships" (which were of a completely different nature from yours) was that if I could write something that I would feel comfortable telling my friends/family without sounding pompous, melodramatic, or phony, it was okay to write about. Nothing will "get you into college" except you, so make sure you are writing authentically about yourself.</p>

6

<p>^^ agreed. really depends how you spin it.</p>