<p>Hey ccers! Im 1/8 Chippewa and on the common app i put that im white and Native American. Since i am only 1/8 i can't be formally affiliated with my tribe so i put that on the common app also. Im looking a very selective schools such as duke, jhu, umich, and northwestern. Will being Native American help me get into those schools? How much will it help me? Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>It can help a lot if you can convince the school that you really are a Native American and not merely some white guy with a distant Native ancestor. </p>
<p>The best case, of course, would be if you were formally registered with a tribe. But lacking that, are there any other ways you could show you are Native American? Did you grow up living on or near the Chippewa reservation? Did you participate in tribal customs and rituals and learn Native ways? With only 1/8th blood quantum, and without some cultural evidence, it might be hard to make a convincing case that you are Native American.</p>
<p>No im not connected with my tribe at all. Since my mom is 1/4 she would qualify, would i be better if she would get registered with the tribe. Or would it help if i got a blood test done to prove my heritage??</p>
<p>The colleges that have been toughest on registration are mostly those in areas with high NA populations. In general, 1/8 would be acceptable. But the expectation is that you are somehow connected, as coureur notes. So, no telling if you have any boost. </p>
<p>Many, if not most, tribes are disputing the value of blood tests, going with traceable lineage (as that’s defined.) The adcoms at highly competitive colleges will be looking for more.</p>
<p>Would it help me if i went to a few rituals and tried to connect with my tribe. Ik that i will never be allowed to formally join, but would that make it better for my college app?</p>
<p>I have this queasy feeling in my stomach reading your last post.</p>
<p>Why…? I went to a quite a few with my grandma when i was younger. But My family moved because of my dads job and my grandma died. So we haven’t really stayed connected.</p>
<p>We don’t know you- whether you are looking for a diversity advantage or have a relationship with your heritage. We only know what you wrote, how you stated this in #3 and 5.</p>
<p>Umich in particular is incredibly proud of diversity on their campus. I’m not 100% sure if it will give you a significant bump, but if you use your essays to show your connection to your grandmother through tribal rituals and the memories you share might help. Only reconnect with your tribe if you actually want to. It would be a shame to sort of con your way in by exploiting your tribe.</p>
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<p>This is exactly what you should not do - connect with your tribe for the purpose of burnishing your college app. Adcoms are pretty good at sniffing out insincere activities that are done solely to look good on an app. The adcoms know that, unfortunately, the largest Indian tribe in American is the Wannabes - white guys trying to claim to be Native American when they really have very little blood quantum and no significant connection to the tribe.</p>
<p>Just be yourself. Be what you really are. Sell yourself to the colleges based on the achievements and attributes you actually have. Stretching the truth, phoniness, and suddenly & conveniently remembering long-ignored roots and ethnicity will not impress anyone.</p>
<p>If you’re registered with the tribe, yes.</p>