I know being mixed-race has advantages in college admissions, so I want to see how I can incorporate this into my essays.
Being mixed race MIGHT have an advantage. In California publics, it does not.
Exvept where not allowed, they’ll see your mixed background in the section on identity and code it. Done.
You can try for an essay that reflects your appreciation of your mixed heritage, customs, quirks. It depends. The right personal assets need to come through.
Sometimes, this is better for a supp answer than the personal statement. You’ll need to decide based on the colleges.
I get how competitive admissions are at the colleges you want to attend, and I understand the instinct to look for every bit of advantage you can find. But cumulatively, your posts gives the impression that you are hoping that facts of your life (your “near death” experience", your “mixed race” status, your JROTC leadership status) will tick a box, and if you tick enough/the right boxes it will give you an edge in admissions. It doesn’t really work that way.
It’s what you have done with those things that matters. Being the Core-Commander implies leadership- but the story you tell will show what kind of leader- and thus a part of what kind of person - you are. Many of the colleges on your list will note that part of your heritage is hispanic (and thus URM) and part is Indian (and thus ORM)- but while the URM side may get you a longer look, it’s not a magic pass. The colleges on your list (variously, “T25”, GaTech, Duke, UNC-CH, the Ivys, UC-I, and NEU) are going to weigh your UW GPA (3.69)/UC C&W 4.0) and class rank (63/278/top 22%) heavily.
Read this, from MIT admissions: