<p>Hello, I know this is kind of ironic with another related thread, but this is the situation I'm in:</p>
<p>I am North African, but my skin color is white. However, I fully identify myself as an African; I connect with other Africans whether black or not, and have aspirations to do a lot for Africa.</p>
<p>On the CommonApp, the question is asked: "Please indicate how you identify yourself". If you then read their little Help box, it says: "You may provide whatever answer you feel best applies to you or any groups of which you feel you are a part."</p>
<p>I did in all seriousness at the time feel that the box for African American was most relevant because I consider myself African, and it says in parentheses (Including Africa and Caribbean). So I checked that, then specified "North African". Just recently I found out that North Africans are considered white, not African American.</p>
<p>Now with acceptances looming, I am really starting to freak out. Do you guys think I could get expelled if they see that I am not black? If yes, I have been contemplating emailing the colleges because I haven't heard back from any yet, telling them what happened. What do you guys think I should do?</p>
<p>And by the way this is a serious question, I know there was a troll thread slightly similar to this, but this really did/is happening and I am really freaking out!!</p>
<p>Ethically, you should tell the admissions office pretty much what you typed in here, that you identify as African, you’re specifically North African (indicate which country/countries), that you thought North African counted when you completed your application and that you recently found out it might not. It <em>might</em> hurt your chances, but it shouldn’t be by too much, not like the ■■■■■ thread where the guy claimed he was already accepted and was afraid of getting rescinded for revealing his lie. They’ll probably even appreciate your honesty.
The best way to communicate is to write a business-style letter (refer to them as “Dear Stanford University Admissions Office:”) and fax it to them at (650) 723-6050. Just make sure you do it as soon as possible.</p>
<p>I really really wouldn’t worry about it. There is certainly an obvious reason as to why you checked the box that you checked. I don’t remember whether the common app asks for ‘race’ or ‘ethnicity’ but ethnically I would think that you could possibly be considered African American.
Furthermore, it is absolutely insane to think that you might be expelled. I think that the worst that would happen is that someone in admissions would be confused if they see your picture, but wouldn’t reject you purely on those grounds. They would probably assume you were part African American or they would contact you and ask. Once you are accepted, there is no way that you would be expelled. Admissions really doesn’t involve itself in your life whatsoever once you’re here and no one will have a clue what box you checked. Plus, can you imagine the headlines? “Stanford Expels North African Student for Being White.” </p>
<p>If you’re really concerned, you might as well write or call, just for the sake of your own mental health, but I really wouldn’t worry.</p>
<p>veggie delight:</p>
<p>It actually doesn’t ask any of those, it says: “Please indicate how you identify yourself.”
And thank you for your response, you don’t know how much of my stress you just eased.</p>
<p>It asked how you identified yourself, so a college can’t dispute that because it’s your identity. Besides, colleges don’t check on admitted to students to make sure that they are actually the race they self-reported as. </p>
<p>GL being admitted.</p>
<p>I don’t understand what’s causing you worry. You say you identify as African but are white; you put down your race, saying North African, which is understood to be white. What’s the problem? Normally I’d say to ask yourself whether you have identified as African your entire life, but you already said that you have. Stanford would not do anything if they discovered what your skin color is; you never misrepresented yourself. (Skin color is NOT important, not even for affirmative action. That’s why they ask you to put down what you identify as, because ethnicity is all about how you identify. If, say, someone was adopted, and they didn’t know what their ethnicity exactly was, but believed it to be Hispanic, so they identified as that their entire lives, engaged in the culture, spoke Spanish, etc. should they not put down Hispanic? Of course they should. Even if they found out one of their parents was actually from Sri Lanka.)</p>
<p>Bigger point: worry about getting in before you worry about being expelled. ;)</p>
<p>^ I second phantasmagoric’s statement</p>
<p>Ok, thank you phant. This thread was what was causing me worry:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/common-application/976825-common-app-race-question.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/common-application/976825-common-app-race-question.html</a></p>
<p>Pretty much they discuss how the commonapp question is asking for skin color/your race according to the federal definition, and I would not fit that federal definition as African-American, because the federal definition is about anyone who has roots in sub-saharan African countries.</p>
<p>Do you still think I’m okay?</p>