"Race" in College Admissions FAQ & Discussion 3

Applying to College
81

<p>By the federal definitions, Hispanic ethnicity overarches all of the racial categories, so Hispanic people can be people of any race. Check the definitions linked to in the second post of the thread. As of the next application year, colleges following the new federal regulation (which comes into effect then, and is already published) will ask a two-part question, first asking about Hispanic ethnicity yes or no, and then asking about "race" with the suggestion "choose one or more." </p>

<p>With the new question format, the student will still be permitted not to answer at all, but the forms won't make that possibility clear.</p>

82

<p>I saw a question in another thread asking how colleges verify what a student self-reports about ethnicity. The previous FAQ thread on this same subject included some very helpful replies by other participants, one of whom pointed out that a college might ask a student to visit the college in a minority student weekend or some event like that. If you are not used to cherishing and embracing a certain ethnic heritage and discussing it with other students, that might be apparent if you are invited to such an event.</p>

83

<p>So what should I do if i am going to Vanderbilt's minority thing? Act more like a minority?</p>

84

<p>How did you get the invitation to go?</p>

85

<p>It's a thing for accepted students called MOSAIC. Is it for them to see how diverse we are or vice versa do you think?</p>

86

<p>A lot of colleges basically use admitted student visit programs as a recruiting tool, to make sure you enroll at that college and not somewhere else you were admitted. But I think it was an astute comment by the other participant in the previous FAQ thread that if are invited to such an event specifically for minority students, it would be possible for you and for everyone else in attendance to observe your degree of attachment to the minority community.</p>

87

<p>Link just mentioned in another thread with helpful information: </p>

<p>[url=<a href="http://www.jbhe.com/firstyearenrolls.html%5DJBHE%5B/url"&gt;http://www.jbhe.com/firstyearenrolls.html]JBHE[/url&lt;/a&gt;]&lt;/p>

88

<p>Do colleges look for a variety of different races? Does it help people of different races who apply to a college?</p>

<p>races like: Eskimian, Persian, Russian, etc...?</p>

<p>does it affect colleges decisions at all?</p>

89

<p>Aren't those nationalities/ethinicities?</p>

<p>It does, URMs is a definite diverse factor but u just can't say "I'm ____ ethnicity" and just expect to be accepted to college. If you're going to mention it, use a life situation, a diversity, how you overcame something, how does it affect your life/aspirations, and be specific.</p>

90

<p>There's a giant thread on this, with all the information--and opinions--that you could ever want.</p>

91

<p>where is that thread?</p>

92

<p>It's here:
<a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/651345-race-college-admissions-faq-discussion-3-a.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/651345-race-college-admissions-faq-discussion-3-a.html&lt;/a>
Actually, that's part 3 of a mega-thread.</p>

93

<p>
[quote]
Do colleges look for a variety of different races?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The short answer is yes. The long answer is in the first several posts of this FAQ and discussion thread, into which the recent question was merged. </p>

<p>
[quote]
u just can't say "I'm ____ ethnicity" and just expect to be accepted to college.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Correct. Each college may have slightly different policies, and some colleges are just plain hard to get into for anyone.</p>

94

<p>Question - A person born to a 100% arab father and a white mother but grew up speaking only arabic until grade school would check what on the application? How is this not as much of a disadvantage as being a hispanic, why must they be allowed their own "box"?</p>

95

<p>Arabs are white by the federal definitions, which are linked to from the second post in this thread. </p>

<p>Any applicant has the choice of not marking any ethnicity or race at all. Another early post in this FAQ and discussion thread shows that colleges admit a lot of students who are reported to the government as "race/ethnicity unknown." </p>

<p>If you think something specific about your background (where you grew up, what language you speak, where you have lived, what cultural experiences you have encountered, what adversities you have overcome, etc.) is of interest to a college admission committee, you are always welcome to write about that in specific detail for any college with a holistic admission process.</p>

96

<p>The Arab question comes up a lot, and I always feel terrible answering it. But no one ever said life would be fair.</p>

97

<p>My friend and I were discussing today how she's Asian and has a tougher chance at colleges. She said she'd probably have an edge over other Asians because her extracurriculars show an interest in humanitarianism as opposed to the "average Asian" whose extracurriculars show an interest in math/science. (Her words, not mine)
Do you think what she said is true?</p>

98

<p>Being atypical may indeed be helpful, but it's most helpful to be atypical in a way that the college needs.</p>

99

<p>What tokenadult said. You might advise your Asian friend(s) to look into rural small LACs in the Midwest or South, where Asian is still underrepresented. That, of course, is due to the inherent Asian bias toward prestigious universities on the coasts in or near an urban environment.</p>

100

<p>Allow me to repeat myself: </p>

<p>
[quote]
Arabs are white by the federal definitions, which are linked to from the second post in this thread.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That's the definition of white "race" used in the United States--Arab people are included in that race. Any college applicant is welcome to mark no racial category at all when applying to college.</p>