<p>My roommate seems to think my status as a Latino applicant will help me for grad programs. Personally, I do not think it will since that is an undergraduate factor more than anything. Anyone have any input?</p>
<p>Maybe not directly, but it could help you indirectly. As in, there are programs on campuses geared towards underrepresented students (minority, low socioeconomic status, first generation college students, females, etc) that help connect these students with research opportunities, summer internships, and campus networking. McNair is an example of this. There are also summer research programs, and year-long research programs for post-graduates, if you’re looking at getting into the biomedical sciences, and these are primarily for underrepresented applicants.</p>
<p>Maybe. If you are already an outstanding candidate, being an underrepresented minority could get professors excited - most programs would like to diversify their programs. However, it’s not taken into account in the same way that it is in undergrad. It’s nice, but it won’t get an unqualified applicant into the program (not that it does in undergrad - but a lot of times in undergrad underrepresented minority candidates can get in with lower test scores because they are a minority. That’s not going to happen in grad programs.)</p>
<p>I also agree with the indirect stuff. A lot of summer programs and term-time programs are for the express purpose of increasing minority applicants - they’re called pipeline programs. Graduate committees are (rightfully so) not willing to lower their admissions standards to let minority applicants in, but they ARE willing to put money into increasing the caliber of minority applicants in the first place. So check those out.</p>
<p>One of my lab mates has a university minority student fellowship and another applied for an underrepresented minority fellowship from the NIH. I would definitely check out what’s available.</p>