"Race" in College Admission FAQ & Discussion 8

Applying to College
61

<p>In the thread that was merged in here, it was asked, </p>

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<p>An edge compared to what? Compared to pursuing other majors?</p>

62

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<p>For this statement, [what</a> definition of overrrepresentation](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1064853590-post14.html]what”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1064853590-post14.html) are you referring to?</p>

63

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<p>While I concede on the cultural aspect, you share more ancestral ties with black Nigerians than you would with white Americans, unless you have white ancestors, in which case you would be of mixed race.</p>

<p><a href=“http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Populations.png/450px-Populations.png[/url]”>http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Populations.png/450px-Populations.png&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

64

<p>Yeah, compared to being majors in say math or some type of engineering.</p>

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<p>To ask a question here, is there any policy reason why an applicant for a particular major field (whatever it is) should be disfavored because quite a few other people of the same “race” like that major field? Should a would-be physical education major be disfavored in college admissions if that applicant happens to be in the plurality race/ethnicity category of physical education majors at most colleges?</p>

66

<p>^ ^ ^ Honesto, thanks for the Wikimedia link. I read Cavalli-Sforza’s massive book on that subject in the early 1990s right after it was published. It’s my impression of the research, informed by this open letter </p>

<p>[Genome</a> Biology | Full text | The ethics of characterizing difference: guiding principles on using racial categories in human genetics](<a href=“http://genomebiology.com/2008/9/7/404]Genome”>http://genomebiology.com/2008/9/7/404) </p>

<p>from Sandra Soo-Jin Lee, Joanna Mountain, Barbara Koenig, Russ Altman, Melissa Brown, Albert Camarillo, Luca Cavalli-Sforza himself, Mildred Cho, Jennifer Eberhardt, Marcus Feldman, Richard Ford, Henry Greely, Roy King, Hazel Markus, Debra Satz, Matthew Snipp, Claude Steele and Peter Underhill, and by various other sources, that details of lineage-tracing for geographically defined autochthonous populations are still being refined. What’s particularly interesting to me is how little understood is the influence of variants that best show ancestry on meaningful phenotypic differences among individuals.</p>

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<p>Ah, you answered my question with a fine question, haha. I understand and yes, you’re right about that. Sorry, it’s just the matter that raised my curiosity.</p>

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<p>^ I’m happy to have the issue considered more generally.</p>

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<p>Reading list from an upcoming institute on college admissions: </p>

<p>[Harvard</a> Summer Institute on College Admissions, June 20-25, 2010, Suggested Reading](<a href=“http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~sica/reading.htm]Harvard”>http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~sica/reading.htm)</p>

70

<p>Hey guys! The common app asks to list all the races that apply to me. I am both Hispanic and Asian - am I still eligible for Affirmative Action?</p>

71

<p>It’s very odd to phrase it as “eligible” for affirmative action; but yes, you would likely receive an admissions boost to improve campus diversity.</p>

72

<p>My mom is full caucasian, and my dad is full native american. I inherit my skin color from my mom. I have registered with my tribe. Would it be okay for me to put native american on my college applications?</p>

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<p>If you have registered with your tribe then yes, however, you shouldn’t make such an important life decision based on college admissions</p>

74

<p>It pains me to say this, but when it comes to college admissions, if you have a race card, you should play it (and deal it from the bottom of the deck if you need to).</p>

75

<p>Yes, you only need to be something like 1/16 NA to get NA status.</p>

76

<p>My father’s a foreigner and I am half North-African. Does this factor into my chances at all? </p>

<p>I mean, would I qualify as a URM or would this be considered a hook?</p>

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<p>No, you wouldn’t, because North Africans are considered to be Caucasian.</p>

78

<p>Colleges are not at all specific in listing what applicant ethnicity characteristics have what weight in their admission decisions, so it’s usually not clear how much of an advantage, if any, a particular self-categorization might provide. You can always use the student essays or other narrative parts of a college application to describe anything unusual about you, if you think that would be appealing to a college.</p>

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<p>Although affirmative action is banned in my state, is it possible that college’s still take one’s ethnicity into account?</p>

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<p>What’s the general cutoff to consider yourself of Native ethnicity? Would it be fraction-defined (like greater than 1/4) or culture-defined (like actively participating with a particular tribe)?</p>