Representing myself as a URM?

Student Lounge Hispanic Students
1

<p>My mother is full Mexican (grandparents from Mexico) and my father is full white (American/European).</p>

<p>What I am curious about is what universities do to determine if an applicant is a URM or not? The only questions I see concerning race are on the Common Application. Obviously I checked the Hispanic-Mexico boxes, but for the next question, "How you identify yourself" I selected white-European.</p>

<p>Is this all that the top universities look at to determine if a student is a URM? I have not been raised in a "Hispanic household", I have a white last name, and my being half-Mexican has had little to no effect on my life, so its not something I'd be able to write about in my essays. How is it determined whether someone is 50% minority or has a great great grandparent who is a URM and is 2% minority?</p>

<p>I may be over-obsessing about this, but I want to make sure I reap the benefits of my heritage as far as getting into college (hope that doesn't sound bad :P).</p>

<p>Thank you.</p>

2

<p>Bump, any help please?</p>

3

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<p>Colleges want URM students who will bring their culture with them…if you identify as white and would not do anything to highlight or celebrate your non-white heritage at a college, then why do you think you should reap the benefits that your ancestry could potentially bring you?</p>

4

<p>Now that this has been redirected to the Hispanic Students subforum, please take the time to read the sticky thread about who is Hispanic as well as other threads here. Your question, or some variation of it, is the #1 FAQ on this subforum.</p>

5

<p>Because the entire system’s unfair anyways, and plenty of kids who don’t culturally identify with that race get in under AA. Might as well take advantage of it…</p>