Question about Common App Ethinic Group Section

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi everyone, I have a question about the Common App.</p>

<p>In the “Optional Information” section on Page 1 (online version), it asks for an ethnic group that you “identify with.” Do (top) colleges actually take this into account? (I realize that it states that no info you provide will be used in a discriminatory manner, but…)</p>

<p>If it does matter, in your opinion, which is a better choice for me to check off? Note: I was born in Taiwan, but have lived in the US for about 8 years.</p>

<li> Asian-American</li>
<li> Asian</li>
<li> none at all</li>
</ol>

<p>Similarily, do colleges take into account the “first language” and “language spoken at home” questions in the same section?</p>

2

<p>personally i learned in high school its better to not mark my language at home/ first language as something besides english. So many bs tests you have to go through.</p>

3

<p>Mark asian then if you are not a citizen. It is against the law to discriminate against you just because of that. An admissions officer once told me it is for statistics that they do this.</p>

4

<p>fastMEd,
I am a citizen of the US. I'm just wondering if it is better (for affirmative action purposes) to mark any of the choices I described.</p>

5

<p>I've heard it's better to mark "Prefer not to answer", but your Asian-sounding last name would probably give you away.</p>

6

<p>If you're going to mark anything, mark Asian American. ...Because that's what you are...</p>

<p>
[quote]
personally i learned in high school its better to not mark my language at home/ first language as something besides english. So many bs tests you have to go through.

[/quote]

I assume you mean TOEFL? He's a citizen. He wouldn't have to take it. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have to take it if he's been in an institute that taught in English for 5+ years.</p>

7

<p>I heard it's better not to mark if you're an Asian, because it may actually count AGAINST you. There're so many qualified Asians that it's harder for Asians to get into some schools than it is for White people to now. This is especially true in California, where an Asian has to be EXCEPTIONAL to get accepted into places such as UCB and Stanford. I know people who got into both MIT and Harvard but got rejected from Stanford. I'm not saying this just because it's a rumor; I read this on a book by a very well-respected former Ivy League admissions officer.</p>

8

<p>
[quote]
I assume you mean TOEFL? He's a citizen. He wouldn't have to take it. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have to take it if he's been in an institute that taught in English for 5+ years.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>not sure if it was the toefl but in high school they kept making me take this pointless test and I'm a citizen born in America, taking ap english. the test was probably equivalent of 5th grade english level.</p>

9

<p>what if your name is so obviously asian? would it even matter then? ah, well.</p>

10

<p>Well, If your name is Sum Ting Wong, maybe it wouldn’t matter either way.</p>

11

<p>Or Tap Sum Bong.</p>

<p>...</p>

<p>someone will get it...</p>

12

<p>Nope, my name isn't obviously Asian.
But which is better, "Asian" or "Asian American"? The former would give my application more of an international flavor, but the latter would make me seem more patriotic. I'm probably putting too much thought into this.</p>

13

<p>me.duh, ^_^</p>

14

<p>...but you're Asian American...</p>

<p>Unless the app says "What would you like to be associated with..." in that case, put African American.</p>

<p>Thank you, MallomarCookie. Russel Peters = Love.</p>

15

<p>me.duh,
I assumed that "Asian American" meant that I was born in America.</p>

<p>I any case, even though I originally raised the question, I doubt it really matters.</p>