<p>Is being Greek a URm or is it just white?</p>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>URM generally refers to African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans. No caucasian sub groups are considered.</p>
<p>so should i even check other and write greek american or just stick with checking caucasian... i mean would there be any benifit what so ever to writing greek american?</p>
<p>Just check "Caucasian". Greek is not URM.</p>
<p>If being Greek has influenced your life in any interesting way (and remember, you will be competing with the narration portion of My Big Fat Greek Wedding if you try this), maybe you could put it in an essay.</p>
<p>Greeks are European caucasions...I don't think you can legitimately mark "other," any more than somebody who is French or German can.</p>
<p>canes: read about an actual admissions officer wrote about how he/she saw many scenarios when people tried to ply the fake-URM ploy.</p>
<p>Posted on 1/26/07 on this thread:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=292731&page=3%5B/url%5D">http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=292731&page=3</a></p>
<p>"okay, what many of you are saying'suggesting on here is really quite disingenuous...</p>
<p>to the original poster...african-american is meant to describe americans who have black african descendents. i think most of you know that. if you don't, there's your clarification.</p>
<p>you, however, have a very interesting background. i would check "other" and describe yourself as you have - as having middle eastern descendents. and yes, that would make you a "minority" in the united states. however, do you identify with middle eastern culture? if you do, it's a good idea to include something in your application about that as it probably makes you unique is some ways and gives you a different perspective on things.</p>
<p>bomgeedad - your comment in post #26 is absolutely incorrect. if a student identifies as a member of a certain racial or ethnic group but has no real connection to it, we aren't going to think of that student as able to contribute anything special to our community, at least with respect to racial or cultural diversity. although this is only one facet of their application, they aren't going to have any kind of "advantage" in admissions if they identify as belonging to a specific racial group unless they show a connection to that community and evidence it has shaped their perspective on things and will be shared in college. and even then, this is just one consideration...</p>
<p>this post has made me think a lot about several students who have applied to my school this year. i just read one student who identified as "hispanic" because their grandmother was born in spain. she is applying from a high school that sends us about 30 applications a year (we usually admit 3-4). disingenuous. another student whose family immigrated to south america during world war two to escape the nazis - white austrian parents born in south america, the student and their siblings in the us. this student identified as "hispanic". disingenuous. yet another student has parents who are white but born in south africa. identified as african-american. disingenuous. and other student who has her "enrollment pending" for a native-american tribe - she indicated she is "native american" - not white and native american, not white and 1/8 native american, but just native american. interesting that there was absolutely nothing about her "heritage" in her application whatsoever; I looked at her siblings' applications (who both came to my school a few years ago and were far superior to her academically) and both indicated they are white only. disingenuous.</p>
<p>indicating something you are not on your college applications is wrong ethically; essentially, if you are identifying with a race or culture you have no connection to, you're lying to us. not cool, and not going to get you any supporters in the admissions office."</p>
<p>I believe what that adcom says, but only up to a point. If you are close enough to the URM for it to be plausible, and they admit you, I'll bet they will include you in their diversity stats. What's more, if you are African-American, or a Native American who is enrolled in a tribe, they are not going to delve into how connected to your ethnic culture you are. Even if you were adopted by a white family and graduated from an all-white prep school, you are going to show up in the college's diversity stats.
As for Greeks, I've heard that schools won't take Greek students as development cases, because they beware of Greeks bearing gifts.</p>
<p>Hunt: That's assuming a school is more interested in padding stats than actually providing slots for qualified URMs that will add to their community. I'm sure the ultra-selectives, with their 1000s of qualified applicants, are going to look to their institutional missions to provide a great diverse student body -- not trying to shoe horn in a "maybe" unless that "maybe" already stands well alone.</p>
<p>Well, maybe you're right, but my impression is that the ultra-selectives will still count a high-socioeconomic status URM as a minority for diversity purposes--and those students are more likely to succeed in those schools, so the temptation to take them over students from poor backgrounds must be very strong.</p>
<p>Hmmm... good thought there. But I know the top schools are also bending over backwards to attract the economically diverse kids too (look at their recent FA changes and ACTIVE recruitment to rural and otherwise under-represented areas). I completely applaud them for this. They have the resources to take chances here and to bring hitherto unlikely kids (in terms of going to an HYPMS, not success-wise) to their excellent institutions.</p>
<p>[Gia sou!], I'm Greek too and always wonder this!</p>
<p>I usually either say white or other. I definitely identify with the Greek culture (speak Greek at home, was born there, travel back every summer, etc) but there's really just no category for people like us!</p>
<p>ahhh i am just like you mairoula517 (kind of lol). My father was born there and immigrated to the US and had lots of struggles which has influenced my life....I FOR SURE identiry with the Greek Culture........so should i check other and write "Greek American" and if my anything else i would like to add box on the common app write a little something about this.</p>
<p>i only want to do it if it will help me.. i know that sounds vain and stupid but i would check white....if it doesnt.........THANKS let me KNOW!</p>
<p>btw i applying to schools such as..</p>
<p>pepperdine
santa clara
U of Washington (seattle)
wake forest
u of miami
boston u</p>
<p>meaning not the super selective schools... so could i help me?</p>
<p>
[quote]
I usually either say white or other. I definitely identify with the Greek culture (speak Greek at home, was born there, travel back every summer, etc) but there's really just no category for people like us!
[/quote]
Yes there is... It is a category called "white or caucasion". Last I checked, Greeks are considered white</p>
<p>greek people are WHITE...just like people from other southern european countries like italy and spain are white even tho they have darker hair than the rest of Europe. people from Spain are not hispanic they are white. Jeez.</p>
<p>
Wrong. "Hispanic" is a term applied to people (and their descendants) from Spain and Spanish-speaking Central and South America. A Hispanic person can be of any race.</p>
<p>The OP's question is perfectly reasonable given that there have been numerous threads complaining about lumping East and South Asians together.</p>
<p>It's simply Caucasian, although I would mark "Other." I'm Egyptian, which technically falls under the "Caucasian" umbrella, but being a first-generation Egyptian has really defined who I am, so I chose to write about it for my essay.</p>
<p>warblersrule86, in the world of college admissions, you are incorrect in your description of "hispanic". The definition, used to determined URM status and as defined by useage and context, does not inlcude people who come directly from Spain.</p>
<p>^^^ Actually, both spideygirl and warblersrule don't have it completely correct, as the US Census Bureau definitions often overlap for various races. </p>
<p>A person descended from Spaniards in Spain, according to the Census Bureau, can actually fulfill the definitions of both "White/Caucasian" and "Hispanic". This is because "Hispanic" people can originate from any racial group, but in practice, Hispanics are often made distinct from Asians, Blacks/Africans, and Whites/Caucasians. This causes problems when "Hispanic" becomes a category on the same order of "Black" and "Asian", when the criteria for inclusion for the Hispanic category and the others is totally different. </p>
<p>This links to the US Census Bureau demonstrate what I'm talking about.</p>
<p><a href="http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_ASR126205.htm%5B/url%5D">http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_ASR126205.htm</a>
<a href="http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_ASR156205.htm%5B/url%5D">http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/meta/long_ASR156205.htm</a></p>
<p>I believe this is why there is so much confusion here.</p>
<p>I don't believe a person who is Greek can honestly check "other." A Greek is just as much a caucasion as an English person is.</p>