<p>A few questions about checking “Native American” status on a college application:</p>
<li><p>Who is considered “elligible?” Holding a tribal citizenship card? Certian pct. Indian Blood?</p></li>
<li><p>Do college verify students claims of “Native American?” (Prior to Acceptance?) If I checked it and they haven’t asked for any supporting information such as a copy of the tribal card, is this good? or Bad?</p></li>
<li><p>Does being a “Native American” actually help?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Harvard is one of the few top schools that doesn't require Native American apps. to show proof. One of the admissions officer claimed that they don't ask for proof because they didn't want people to think that being Native American would be the difference between getting in or not (when, in my opinion, it very much could be). In regard to your last question, Native Americans are a rarity in general and in the academic world. The diversity that they can add to a school is priceless. Native Americans are one of the beneficaries of Affirmative Action, so definitively they receive some preference.</p>
<p>Seems to me that there are two types of Native Americans is the US:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Real Native Americans (NA) - people have are substantially of NA genetic descent and who were raised in a NA family and/or culture or have close links to such culture and its traditions. Except on or near Indian reservations, people such as this are relatively rare, especially in the college-bound population.</p></li>
<li><p>The Largest NA Tribe of All - The Wannabes. They are basically White Guys with perhaps a vague family story of a great or great, great grandparent who was rumored to be an NA - almost always a "Cherokee" for some reason. But they were not raised in an NA culture and have no current links to the tribe.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>If you are one of the former, you can proudly claim NA status regardless of whether you are registered with the tribe. If you are one of the latter you gotta ask yourself whether you are really an NA or are you merely trying to game the college application process.</p>
<p>Coureur, I would like to suggest a third group, the children of parents who plan way ahead. My wife and I have told our daughters that we should have given them Native American sounding middle names like eagle feather or such. This of course descended into a contest as to who could make up the most unlikely sounding name. The winner, I believe, was 'perspicacious puma".<br>
Actually, I don't know that anyone's parents have actually resorted to this subterfuge, but we thought it would make an interesting bit for a situation comedy about hovering parents.</p>
<p>
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Harvard is one of the few top schools that doesn't require Native American apps. to show proof.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Good for Harvard. I find it strange that a college would ask Native Americans to show proof, but not African Americans or Hispanic applicants, or others they may give a slight edge to. </p>
<p>It makes much more sense to inquire through the student's high school if there are any doubts about their heritage, if admissions decisions are weighing that as a factor, the same way they might for other applicants they're considering. I know, for instance, they sometimes do have further conversations with hs counsellors and they sometimes do verify other kinds of information. This seems like a much better approach, imo.</p>
<p>so how would i prove that i am african american and native american?
i belong to an african methodist church and i volunteer at the native american museum and when u see me in person its obvious... is that enough or do they need ur birth certificate or something?</p>