This weekend I emailed all of the colleges I applied to an update letter informing them of important developments since the time of submitting my application. This morning I received an email back from one of the schools thanking me for the exciting update and telling me they would add it to my file. The interesting part however was that the email came from the associate director for diversity initiatives. My mother is from Iran and I have always considered myself Middle Eastern, but all the research I have done says that Middle Easterns are not an URM and it does not make a difference in college admissions. So my question is whether or not this is simply coincidental or is it possible that my application is being handled by the Diversity Initiatives department, and if so, why? Any and all feedback is much appreciated.
To know the answer to that question, you really need to call the people at that particular college/university.
I understand that would be the best option, but it’s improbable they’ll answer that question.
Probably a coincidence. Middle Eastern usually not a URM but it depends on the school.