<p>ek, I was more responding to being involved in LGBT groups (that’s what would open up the ridicule, bullying, etc). I seriously doubt just being LGBT is going to be a boost in any way.</p>
<p>Sexual orientation is not really verifiable by an outside source, whereas race is determined by your ancestry. Typically schools have cut-offs (25% or something like that) to determine minority status. Even though they rely on the student to be honest, they could hypothetically kick a student out for lying on a student application about it. In contrast, there is no way a school could verify who you are attracted to.</p>
<p>I think it would create some weird scenarios if sexual orientation became a hook.</p>
<p>Weird Scenario #1
Background:
Brett Smith was accepted to Cornell University. His hook was that he was homosexual (but really wasn’t). Brett was just called down the dean’s office for a rumor of Brett’s sexuality has spread cross campus.</p>
<p>University Dean: Mr. Smith, have a seat.
<em>Brett sits down.</em>
University Dean: There’s been word that you were with a girl at a campus party. I believe last Thrusday at about 1:34 AM. Don’t lie. It’s on Facebook. We know everything. What do you have to say, Mr. Smith?
Brett: <em>fidgets</em> Um…
University Dean: Dishonesty is never allowed at a university of our level. This is intolerable. Do you know the consequences of your actions? You…
Brett: Mr. Dean, I guess I forgot to tell you that I think I’m bisexual.
University Dean: Oh…well…I’m so sorry. It was a misjudgment on our part.</p>
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<p>For race and ethnicity, the only one that they seem to care about documenting or verifying is Native American (typically through tribal enrollment).</p>
<p>^Yes, I know they only proactively verify the Native American ancestry. What I’m saying is that they could verify the other minority statuses if they wanted.</p>
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<p>Lucky for me, my parents were straight.</p>
<p>Anyway, I thought ‘sexuality as a hook’ would mean flirting with the admissions people.</p>
<p>I’m not aware of any evidence that LGBT is a hook anywhere–it’s probably an anti-hook at certain colleges. As others have noted, it might now be an appropriate essay topic, along with many, many other essay topics. This is a change from the past, when this would have been a topic to avoid. But that doesn’t make it a hook.</p>
<p>Having two moms isn’t a hook, either. That Wall Street Journal piece is even worse than I thought if it’s making people think this is true.</p>
<p>As Hunt said, I don’t see why sexuality couldn’t be a good essay topic. However using it as a ‘hook’ could be seen by the admissions officers as a way to avoid talking about something more boring, more common – some people might not have any substance/anything to say in there essay, so they might choose sexuality as a way out.</p>
<p>This is only my personal opinion though, I’m not saying it couldn’t work out.</p>
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<p>Transgender isn’t a sexual orientation–it’s a gender identity.</p>
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<p>“Verifying” Native American status through tribal enrollment goes back to the use blood quantum to identify tribe members. FWIW, most Native Americans I know who talked about the issue really disliked the use of blood quantum, as it is often very high and discounts people who may have ancestry from more than one tribe (i.e., someone who is a “quarter” X tribe and a “quarter” Y tribe won’t qualify as being a member of either tribe if both of those tribes have a blood quantum of 50%) and people who are culturally part of a tribe but don’t meet the blood quantum requirement. It also discounts members of non-federally recognized tribes. Also, the rolls used to establish ancestry were often very incomplete.</p>