<p>I am Afghan-American, second gen attending college, and come from a low/middle class family. Unfortunately, Middle-Easterns don't count as a minority, so my ethnicity falls under White. This sucks. Is it beneficial to mention being Afghan in the application for HYPS, since not many Afghans apply to top-tier schools so the adcoms know that I am not white-white? Help! What can I do, as an Afghan applicant, to make myself stand out? Thanks a bunch!</p>
<p>how horrible that you are White</p>
<p>Seriously, it must be awful coping with being white.</p>
<p>^relax guys. anothergalaxy was just asking a legit question.
I would mention that you are Afghan just in case, but I doubt it would make a difference. There is a reason you’re in the white category. They’ll count you as being white. Still, couldn’t hurt to put it down just in case.</p>
<p>How about trying to stand out with academics and extra-curricular activities like everyone else?</p>
<p>Yes, Arab countries east of Bosphorus are considered Middle-Eastern, so you’re white. You should mention your nationality only if you can find an appropriate place for it. Don’t just jam it anywhere to get brownie points for diversity.</p>
<p>@fdc419, there’s no possible way of standing out in academics in that applicant pool, haha. But I do have a graphic design focus in my extra-curricular activities to stand out in the pool. I will definitely mention being Afghan somewhere in my essays because it has affected the life I live and why I am choosing Stanford.</p>