<p>This is coming from an African American who has just completed the application process at an extremely prestigious college:</p>
<p>I've seen some students on here wonder whether they can be considered black in college admissions, or ask how they can "pass". So I just wanted to offer some contrary thoughts.</p>
<p>if a student lies on their app, and says they are black when they are white, your admission will eventually be rescinded. Either that, or you will be kicked out when the college finds out you are white. Colleges don't simply use race for admissions: they keep track of their minorities on campus.</p>
<p>So, if you put "black" and, as a result, got into your dream school, you'd be treated like an african american: invited (and expected to attend) to all the diversity initiatives, minority activities, etc. This is where it would start to get hairy for you, because adcoms and school officials like to meet their minority students face-to-face. You would literally have to hide in your dorm for four years to not get found out. adcoms, especially at prestigious schools, KNOW WHO THEY ADMIT. If they see your blue eyes and blond hair at orientation and remember that you are supposed to be black, they will investigate. Most elite colleges assign black deans to black students, and at some point during your four years, you will have to visit a dean. As a procedure, deans do look over the admission files of students when meeting them for the first time. A black dean will find out you are white, and investigate. at that point, you can look forward to your dismissal from the college.</p>
<p>Affirmative Action benefits are meant for those for whom they were established. Colleges take this very, very seriously.</p>
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So, if you put "black" and, as a result, got into your dream school, you'd be treated like an african american: invited (and expected to attend) to all the diversity initiatives
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<p>how would a minority student be "expected to attend" diversity initiatives? that's a crazy thing to say</p>
<p>i'm sure you've seen the questions. I just get tired of seeing them. If it's obvious, then why do people keep asking? according to your logic, people should already know the answer.</p>
<p>When I was in grad school, a young woman in my program lied about her race (said she was hispanic because she looked hispanic). Got a big scholarship and everything. The school wanted her to participate on a panel and wanted to write a short bio about her. Found out she lied about her race and was promptly thown out of the program and the school sued her for all of the scholarship $$ she was given.</p>
<p>^^^ well that's the school's own fault, it's idiotic for a school to give out race-based scholarships in the first place. can you blame a poor student for seeking out a scholarship available to a rich hispanic???</p>
<p>There are people who will argue they are black, when the situation favors it, like claiming they have a black grandfather or something to the fact. The colleges should publicized the standard for calling one's race. 1/8 or 1/4 minority isnt minority.</p>
<p>elsijfdl: you're making a lot of assumptions there. How do you know the scholarship wasn't for POOR hispanics? And while it's your opinion that scholarships for URMs is a bad idea, it's a fact of life and people will vehemently defend them.</p>
<p>The Univ of MI has HUGE scholarships for certain under represented geographic areas of MI (which is ridiculously expansive, BTW) and for males who commit to majoring in Nursing. U-M -- yep. I see nothing wrong with these enticements to bring in under represented sub groups. </p>
<p>I can easily see some small LAC or graduate program which desires top URM applicants so go out luring them with good FA packages.</p>
<p>And I respect the fact that you feel oppositely. I respect that.</p>
<p>AA should be based on family income and education, not race, its ridiculous that a rich black kid gets an advantage over a poor white kid without opportunities. If it were to be based on family income and education (if the family does not have a history of going to top colleges or college at all ect) the minorities who really need it would be helped and asians and whites who are disadvantaged for reasons other than race would get help too.</p>
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-- yep. I see nothing wrong with these enticements to bring in under represented sub groups.
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<p>i do if its at the cost of poor students. As far as I can remember I have been a proponent of socioeconomic action as opposed to affirmative action. </p>
<p>i know there are arguments for affirmative action (i read nearly the entire supreme court opinion on the UMich law and undergrad admissions) and I suppose if a school is fulfilling the financial needs of its students it is free to do what it wants with surplus funds, but as far as i'm concerned a public school appropriating public dollars according to race is an explicit violation of the bill of rights. apparently the majority of the supreme court disagrees with me :/</p>
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And I respect the fact that you feel oppositely. I respect that.
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<p>i did not mean to be disrespectful if that's how you felt, i realize it's a sensitive issue i just happen to have a strong opinion in one direction.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the US is trying to create an equal environment. What they actually do is disadvantage the advantaged and vice versa like favoring the supposedly URMs over the ORMs (AA).
So much for everyone is created equal. At least the gaokao is more objective than the SATs, along with the assumed "crap shoots"..</p>
<p>The blond hair and blue eyed comment was a little much. My friend is a blond woman who married a black man. They have a blond, blue-eyed daughter who has been raised in the black community (the mother was disowned by her family). The girl's father was shot and nearly killed in a very publicized racial incident, he is an extremely well-respected member of the black community, they attend a black church, the extended family is black, the child identifies as black, her brother is visibly black, but she looks just like her mother who looks Scandinavian. They are not wealthy, but they are smart and hardworking. It would be outrageous for the child to be kicked out of a college because she doesn't look black. She absolutely doesn't, but she surely is.</p>
<p>Concerning the people who say that they look hispanic, it is impossible to look Hispanic. Hispanic people could possibly look like any type of person. It simply means the person has roots in a Spanish speaking area. Any race can be hispanic.</p>