I’m almost done with all of my applications, but the one part that I have gone back and forth on is the ethnicity question. I would view myself as white and I’ve checked off white on every SAT, PSAT, and my school profile website as being white. I found out that being 1/4 Hispanic is qualifies as legitimately being Hispanic. My grandfather was born in Colombia after his parents moved there from Europe. Hispanic is a big part of my mom side of the family’s culture, and has had an impact on me. Since my Colombian grandfather’s father is European, he doesn’t have a Spanish last name.
I have a bunch of match schools that I want to attend such as Penn State, Maryland, and Wisconsin. However, I’ve heard that if I check off Hispanic, I could have a sizable advantage to get into a highly selective (not Ivy) university. I go to a top public school in the country and from a very rich town so I don’t have a financial disadvantage. I have a 3.5 GPA and 1950 on the SAT.
If I put down Hispanic, would any colleges question it and cause it to backfire? Do I need to mention it in the essays to show that being Hispanic is part of my culture? I’m nervous if it could be risky considering I don’t have a Hispanic last name.
I’ve taken Spanish all 4 years of High School and am in AP Spanish this year. Also my mother, grandfather, and grandmother are all fluent. I wouldn’t really identify as hispanic in my day to day life, but it has definitely had a big impact on me.
Speaking as a Mexican Mom, it really isn’t going to help you that much.
Typically, by senior year, you’ve taken your SAT’s and during your PSAT testing, there is a question about ethnicity/race (?) and they link your response to the National Hispanic Recognition Program. Many “hispanic” kids are encouraged to take the PSATs to link up with the NHRP. They will wonder why it wasn’t noted in your testing documentation. In other words, it won’t really be much of an edge because there are large numbers of hispanic kids applying to top schools.
@“aunt bea” I’m not sure if I checked off White or Latino on the PSAT, but in the middle of junior year i had less than a 3.5 so I couldn’t be recognized anyway.
Hopefully, you realize that one can identify as Hispanic without speaking Spanish. On the flip side, fluency in Spanish does not make one Hispanic.
To the original poster, if you identify as Hispanic, feel free to mark yourself as Hispanic. However, I doubt that being white and Hispanic will give any type of an edge.
Well, if you don’t consider college admissions, consider this situation: Let’s say you were part of a survey. One of the questions is “Are you Hispanic?”
If you’ve not inclinations to identify yourself as Hispanic to others before college admissions, then I would advise you not to.
The only criteria for checking ‘yes’ is the definition of Hispanic presented by the organization who asks.
One group may label people who are born in a certain place, speak a certain language, belong to a certain community as Hispanic.
Another group may label all people who have one or more grandparents from a certain place as Hispanic.
The person or group that asks makes its own rules.
Answer the question in the context of the rules.
And most likely, you will check the box that says “Hispanic”… because, by the rules that you offer, I meet that criteria.
If your neighbors, your teachers, or a stranger asks the same question, you might say "What do you mean by ‘Hispanic’, and then answer by the rules that that person gives you.
They don’t ask “Do you feel Hispanic?”, or “Does your family participate in a Hispanic community?”
They ask… does at least one of your parents, or grandparents come from a certain place?
Hispanic can be ANY race, and the colleges’ racial classification supports this definition-- just google the school’s Common Data Set info and look at how the categories are defined and are reported.
You can tick both the hispanic and the white box and not lose any sleep over this.
@skieurope so you’re saying that checking off both white and hispanic would cancel out any advantage I’d get from only checking off hispanic? All of the diversity statistics college use are about ethnicity. It seems unfair that just because I also identify as white, I wouldn’t get the advantage of being a minority.
That begs the question why, as a racially 100% white person (grandfather is Caucasian) w little little in the way of latino cultural practices and zero in the way of of racial discrimination experiences, you feel you are entitled to any advantages for being a “minority”.
@GMTplus7 I see your point as in I’ve never experienced discrimination or anything like that. But I do know that diversity is important to all colleges. I can’t say for sure, but I would think that there is appeal to admit someone that’s Latino and can pay full tuition (not asking for financial aid.) It seems like a win-win for the college.
I’m not challenging your intelligence. It just seems logical that any college would see the benefit of accepting a Latino who isn’t asking for financial aid. Colleges want more money and more diversity, I don’t get why you’re so quick to shoot down the thought of me getting an advantage on any scale.
Because you’re presence in the classroom isn’t going to challenge the stereotype of poor hispanic kid. In the classroom, u will be taken as just another rich white kid
I’ve already given u the green light to legitimately tick the hispanic box, just tick it graciously. Don’t go giving yourself halos for spinning this cynical farce that you are virtuously adding diversity.
You’re right by saying that to other students I’d be perceived as a rich white kid by other students. But the reason you’re flat out wrong is my hispanic identity won’t be ignored by admissions just because my family is well off. I wrote about it in some essays and it’s important to me. And how is there no appeal in a student who can boost diversity numbers and pay for full tuition?
Ok well can you answer this question alone please because I’ve heard conflicting answers to this. Colleges value poor Hispanics, but wouldn’t there also be appeal in taking a Hispanic who can pay full tuition?
From the SCOTUS courtroom proceedings of ‘Fisher v UT’, the dirty secret came out that UT wants to recruit rich black kids to have “diversity within diversity”. But your moral failing is that you want to pat yourself on the back about the “diversity within diversity” u bring, when the God’s honest truth is that while you can be classified as URM on a technicality, u are just another rich white kid.
If I were u, I would have the sense to just tick the hispanic box and keep a low profile about it.
If you’re hoping it will give you admission edge, it really won’t. Just check off hispanic. Bloodwise, your background is European, non-spanish, because someone immigrated from a European country and had children in a South American country doesn’t make your bloodline change.
Check off hispanic; then wait for admission results.