@intparent In the admissions committee itself, I’m sure that’s right. If a decision came down to Scott and Fred, they are not going to go with Fred because Fred called himself “pansexual”. But the individual readers may “like” Fred more, so that could be a theoretical difference. If I wanted to be admitted to Tulane, I would be sorely tempted to check whatever boxes I thought might help. It will be interesting to see if non-LGBTQ applicants claiming to be gay becomes a thing.
Just remember, they don’t just “like” someone for their gender identity. An applicant has to match. That’s more than just one box. An activist kid or one with compassionate service over time is showing much more.
And as intparent often points out, lots and lots of applicants won’t fit binary. It’s just not as unusual as it may seem in one’s hs or community.