"prefer not to respond"

<p>Do you think that colege adcoms are annoyed when a student answers "prefer not to respond" to race/ethnicity identification? Do you think it's like you're not complying with what's expected? Or as if you're someone who doesn't really identify yourself by a race? Just curious.</p>

<p>They probably don't care.</p>

<p>I think that if you leave it blank and don't have a clearly identifying last name, they just assume you're not a URM.</p>

<p>Oh yes, they get VERY ANNOYED. No matter what you do, DO NOT put down, I prefer not to respond, that will indicate to them that you HATE their college and don't want to go there. Furthermore, it will indicate to them that you're racist, because you'll be indicating none of the races are good enough for you!!!</p>

<p>How DARE YOU ask this question?!!!!</p>

<p>Yes, if you leave it blank, then they'll know you're white and not an UNDER REPRESENTED MINORRRRITTYYYYY! </p>

<p>Don't worry - on my Yale one, I accidently recorded "prefer not to respond" and "white." Hopefully they don't think it's an attempt at being a smart ass...</p>

<p>fhimas that was rather unnecessary; unlike the majority of the questions here this one had some sort of sensible base to it. </p>

<p>And, blairt, my answer is: I don't think they have the time or motivation to care.</p>

<p>If your race/ethnicity is very obvious (like your last name is chen or weinstein or you are very active in race/ethnicity based ECs) you might as well just come out and tell them what you are. If you don't mark anything and have no ECs that point to anything and/or an ambiguous last name, they would just consider you white and move on (assuming they spend this much time on race to begin with).</p>

<p>mynameiszach: Im pretty sure fhimas was being sarcastic. </p>

<p>Maybe because he (im calling you he) used excessive amounts of capitals and exclamation points...or the fact that he said "Don't Worry" at the end.</p>

<p>Maybe read it again.
I get that sometimes it can be hard to sense sarcasm online...but how could you miss that??</p>

<p>Venkat: good point. I doubt "John Chen" is a black urm</p>

<p>arklogic,</p>

<p>What about DeShawn Carlos Weiguo Zhang?</p>

<p>mynameiszach - it was not inappropriate... it was a joke. The question was borderline, "if I use a blue pen, will they get angry because I didn't use a black pen?"</p>

<p>I know he was sarcastic .... but that doesn't make it necessary ...</p>

<p>and I would hardly call the ? borderline</p>

<p>I think if you ask colleges directly, they will say it doesn't matter.
However, I was given data at one of my schools college meeting-things that clearly showed that not putting down an ethnicity is to your disadvantage.</p>

<p>You're right - and this question is the same. The answer is clear - if you write Prefer Not to Respond, then it's clear you're NOT a URM. Many URMs have other defining factors, so even if they put down that they didn't want to respond, perhaps the names of their parents, or things like that will give them away...</p>

<p>Would it be a disadvantage if you're OVER-represented (asian, for example)? If so.. why?
I left my ethnicity/race blank..</p>

<p>If you are over-represented, that pretty much means you are Asian, which pretty much means they can tell just from your name, so not writing down your ethnicity doesn't do anything. If you are under-represented, you're only hurting your chances because they might know know you are a URM.</p>

<p>Would it help if your Asian but have a not Asian sounding name?</p>

<p>As long as your "not Asian sounding name" is Perez. **</p>

<p>**Don't even ask. That was sarcasm.</p>

<p>Put it down: take pride in your ethnicity.</p>

<p>Also, the whole point of admitting URMs is to raise the percent they put down on handbooks as official stats. If you are one and don't list it, you're not doing them any favors... just own up to your race. It shows class. =)</p>