<p>if it's "optional" why would anyone not a urm check it? being an asian, i don't see any benefit to revealing my race, as it could possibly have negative repurcussions... and is it really optional? people with stereotypical last names aren't hiding anything their name doesn't already give away... so what should i do?</p>
<p>You did not provide enough information for a really serious reply, i.e., are a US citizen? If you are Asian and a US citizen, you are nuts (i.e., totally insane, without normal intelligence) to identify yourself as an Asian. Let them figure it out. Your best hope is that your Asian mother marrried a guy named Smith, and your last name is Smith. I would welcome any serious, reasoned counterthoughts from anyone who has any insight based on college admission experience.</p>
<p>oh i'm an american citizen "abc" and no, my last name is stereotypically asian haha</p>
<p>It depends on where you're applying. There actually are some US colleges where being an Asian is an advantage. I think, in fact, that this may be true at Vandy and at places like Grinnell that are in the heartland where there aren't many Asians.</p>
<p>RHD, I'd agree with you if their last name was smith and they didn't mention ethnicity anywhere else on the app (like being in an asian american club at school or something). However, if you last name is obviously asian, i'd say go ahead and put your race; they'll know anyway.</p>
<p>k, it's actually for governor's school... nj... lots of asians with really high psats! um... i was wondering tho for colleges like cornell, jhu, columbia, upenn... check it?</p>
<p>What I suggest is that you check the colleges' web sites to find out what % of students are Asian. If there's a very low percentage, the college would probably view Asians as adding to the college's diversity.</p>
<p>when you siay high/low percentage, do u mean in relation to the relative population in the us?</p>
<p>No. I mean in comparison to the sky high percentages at some colleges. For instance, my understanding is that many Calif. public institutions are majority Asian. Many Ivies are 1/3 Asian, far above Asians' proportion of the US population. Meanwhile, there are some very nice colleges, particularly some state universities (perhaps U of Wisconsin is an example) and liberal arts colleges that have an Asian percentage of only 1-3%.</p>
<p>thanks... i guess i won't be checking many boxes next year... er... pertaining to race at least</p>
<p>It does not matter to which school you are applying (unless it is a commuity college), if you are a US citizen, don't identify yourself as an Asian, if you are not forced to do so. You will be disadvantaged (more specifically, there is no absolutely no possible way you can receive an advantage from your disclosure that you are Asian, and lots of potential disadvantages, so why disclose?). I work a a top 50 US university and have a junior in high school. You can say what you want, there is a quota system - you can say it isn't true, and hide your head in the sand, but it is an absolute fact, especially in states that border the Pacific ocean, and also in lots of states that are on the east coast.</p>
<p>Cujoe:</p>
<p>Some NE LACs would very much welcome Asian students, even though Asians are already overrepresented relative to their percentage of the general population. That is the impression we got attending some college information sessions several years ago. But at top schools that already attract large number of Asian applicants, there would be no advantage to self-identification.</p>
<p>but the schools i said? jhu, cornell, columbia, upenn? i'm gonna say not to check it right?</p>
<p>Yeah, don't check it. It probably won't help much or at all, but at least if you get in, you won't be flooded with mail from Asian student organizations or be sent propaganda about "diversity" and "cultural events, groups, etc."</p>
<p>When too many kids do not check the box, the infor for future students becomes useless, as they do not check it for you even if they can see you are Asian, your name is Asian, your parents were born in Asia and Chinese is your first language. I personally don't think it hurts anything and have not noticed any difference in acceptances to schools with a lot of aisans for kids who check the box and kids who do not. The only time the info matters is if what you check is URM. I have also heard that at schools that are so "vanilla" where Asians are rare, anything other than "blonde" is rare, it may help, but have seen little evidence of it as I don't know any Asians who have applied to such schools. If it makes you feel better, don't check the box.</p>
<p>I don't think it really matters, wheter or not you check the box if you are Asian or White. The admission office assumes that most (not all) people who don't check the race box are either White or Asian. And also they can find out what race you are through an interview. And I agree with what jamimom said... the race box doesn't really matter unless you are a URM.</p>