<p>Hi everyone,
Kind of a stupid question, but I'm half Japanese and was wondering whether or not I should try to hide that fact when applying to some of my reach schools. I know that being an Asian is definitely not a plus to Ivies as they already have a surplus, but what if you're just half? Do they even ask about your parent's ethnicity? Excuse any ignorance, I'm still a junior/rising senior and haven't started applying to any colleges yet.</p>
<p>proud to be an asian!!</p>
<p>It’s not a plus but it’s not a negative either. Don’t believe that myth.</p>
<p>The negative is that many, many applicants just blend in with each other – they fail to stand out. That’s your goal. Top schools will choose a stand out Asian over a boring African American. </p>
<p>When I applied (back when the Dinosours roamed) to multiple Ivies and top engineering schools. Afterward, I realized that my SATs were about the 30th percentile of accepted students. Nowadays people would say a Chinese-American with similar stats would stand no chance. But regardless, the rest of my file shined and I was accepted at all schools. I stood out and was a unique candidate.</p>
<p>Can you stand out? That’s the question – not your ethnicity.</p>