Now that Commonapp is out, I am questioning what race I should put. Even though I am Sri Lankan, my mom is called a Sri Lankan Burgher which means she has Dutch and Belgian descendants. It actually is a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burgher_people
In that case, could I put Asian and White on how I identify myself even though I look like any other Sri Lankan which is just like an Indian?
It sounds like you identify as Asian, so probably go with that.
Why would it make a difference?
@aunt bea he is trying to take advantage of the fact that Caucasian has higher chance of admittance than those of many other ethnicity, especially Asian.
I’d do white/Caucasian on the main one, but where you can select multiple ethnicities, check Caucasian and Asian.
Yes, I would check “white” given your ancestry. If your last name is Asian sounding, there’s no getting around it, and you will have to check Asian also, for fear you will look like you are trying to hide being Asian also.
@“aunt bea” Being an ORM, I was seeing if I could diversify myself in any way. My mom’s maiden name is also Dutch, but my last name is Asian. The last full white person was only my grandfather’s grandfather I believe. Is there any legality issue in putting both Asian and White because it is such a small percentage? @aneeshs17 @preppedparent
no, you are white and Asian.
No, there should be no legal issue; mark Asian and white. I just don’t see how an adcom committee would see an advantage unless you were an URM.
Mark what have you marked up until now. This can’t be the first time you’ve checked a race box. What did you mark on the SAT/ACT? Or any form that’s asked you to fill out your race up until now.
@concernedrabbit, It doesn’t matter how OP has completed other forms. He’a Asian and white, so he can check both boxes if he wants.
@austinmshauri Interestingly enough, I’m in the same situation OP, yet reversed. I’m Romanian, with a grandfather who was a gypsy (the type that came from India). Therefore, I would be a quarter Indian (Asian), which makes me more mixed than OP.
Ultimately, I look white, due to being 75% so. This is what I have put down for the majority of my life, and I have been highly advised against putting both down. Up until this point, my race has been listed as white, and I think that OP will have had his race listed as Asian. He also directly stated that “I look like any other Sri Lankan”. The inconsistency will be apparent. He has Asian listed everywhere else, but then he has white listed on the common app…It’s going to be a huge red flag.
TLDR: Putting down that he is white will be a lie, and it will stick out from all the other documents.
@bluedevil8130 OP: I get it. I too thought that putting down both would help me in college applications, since I would be more “Diverse”, but ultimately, it would end up hurting us sooo much more, especially in your case. I have been advised against it, and I’m a quarter. You are only 1/16. It’s going to hurt you if they see that you are trying to play the system. Don’t do it.
The race / ethnicity question is basically an honor system in most cases.
An honest answer would be any which you identify with through such things as culturally related activities or which others identify you as at first glance.
@ConcernedRabbit I get your point, and I am going to continue to ask around. In your case, saying Asian would hurt though because Asian is even more overrepresented, which could be why you were advised not to do so. I also wanted to clarify that I would be putting both Asian and White if I decided to do so. I have identified myself as Asian all my life, but I do have some white ancestry. My mom’s birth record even says Burgher on it, and her maiden name is clearly white.
What a world this is … where declaring ‘white’ ancestry helps with college admissions.
In the college admission world its caste society where there is always someone of a lower caste…
@concernedrabbit, OP isn’t saying he’s white. He’s saying he’s white and Asian, which is true. I don’t think it will move the needle much either way. I also don’t think adcoms sit in their offices calculating percentages, so if you’re white and Asian and want to identify that way then that’s what you should do.
Sounds like OP has a Sri Lankan last name and mother’s maiden name is Burgher (1/16th). There are several native american tribes in the US who recognize tribal membership by someone who is at least 1/16th quantum. See details below
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_quantum_laws
Based upon the precedent above, I see no issues with claiming both white and asian ancestry.
If you put your mother’s maiden name in the parent info section, you won’t raise red flags for saying both.
Don’t do it…it honestly not really going to help that much, and it has high potential of hurting you. You even state in the title “Race(I am Asian)” If your first instinct is to say Asian, than that’s what you should say. It’s not worth the trouble.