I am curious as to the question of being a minority as a hook for college in another way. I understand that colleges recognize and get the impression that if you are African-American, you are black and qualify as a student of color. What about other places of your background that are known to be for students of color. I mean colleges will know if perhaps you specify the country and/or perhaps you send them a picture.
For example, say you are from a certain country in the Carribean where its traditionally known to produce students of color or say you are Indian from Asia, especially when you are being compared to all the other ‘white’ Asians in this notion.
My question is: Does students of color have a pretty good hook or additional category that colleges consider in terms of their diversity statistics?
Especially for top schools like DUKE, Penn, Dartmouth, Emory, and Northwestern?
<p>Why are you using something that has nothing to do with your personality, your accomplishments, or your credentials to help you get into a school? If you are qualified to get into Duke, then you won't need race to get you accepted. If you aren't, and you are accepted because you inform Duke of your race, then you are only hurting yourself and the admissions process in general by putting yourself in perhaps an over-challenging position, and also you are skewing the application field by taking the place of a (possibly) more qualified applicant just because of the color of your skin.</p>
<p>Don't take this as my "white boy pain," either. I'm ethnically Native American. If I reported my race along with my test scores to colleges I would have the biggest advantage in the entire admissions pool (there is a major lack of Native American students with decent credentials). But I have decided that if I am not chosen by what I have done for myself (and not where my ancestors came from), then I have no place in the college that would accept me knowing my race, and deny me if they didn't know it. I hope you will make the same choice.</p>
<p>I am not trying to use anything as a hook if it is something I already am. I am simply curious as to how colleges perceive this notion of "student of color" which differes from "under represented minority"</p>
<p>Thus far, you've asked whether colleges will give you a break on your relatively low (for Ivy and similar schools) CR and W scores because English is your second language, whether colleges verify ECs, and now whether you'll get a break because you are some kind of student of color.</p>
<p>Have you considered boosting your chances by actions such as: doing something major in terms of leadership or winning awards; studying hard to raise your scores; writing and rewriting your college application until it gleams?</p>
<p>guys guys, answer my question not bashing and looking at previous posts. I mean I dont want to creat a new user name and ask this question with a new background. I am simply curious on this issue thats all.</p>
<p>yeah, an african american (or a native american) with a 2200 will probably get into the ivy league school of their choice - - - unlike the asian, indian, or caucasian male with the 2200.</p>
<p>Truth is, no one knows the answer. Adcoms don't release such info.</p>
<p>As for what cornerstones says, I have seen URMs with scores in the 1500s on the old SAT who were rejected by Ivies. No one is guaranteed admission -- URM or not.</p>
<p>No one knows! They don't release the info. Anyway, URMs are included in "students of color". There also are big differences in desireability by colleges between Asians, who are overrepresented students of color at many top colleges, and URMs, who are underrepresented students of color.</p>
<p>I must say I have a hard time following the OP. Indians are "white" Asians ? Carribean countries known to producing students of colours?
Am I the only one confused? Maybe "Harvard" is out of my league.</p>
<p>I have a question. What if you were white, like Dutch or something, in a country like South Africa? Wouldn't you be able to say you're African-American since you are technically geographically African? Or how about a white person in the Caribbean?</p>
<p>If you are asian-indian yes, you are indeed a student of color just as any and every non-white perwon who applies for admissions. However, students of asian or asian-indian descent are not considered URM's at most of the elite schools.</p>
<p>I think he's asking, for examaple, if a white Jamaican would be a student of color. No, but it really doesn't matter. "Of color" makes no difference. The nod goes to blacks and hispanics, others fortunate enough to have good pigmentation are not getting an admissions advantage.</p>
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[quote]
But I have decided that if I am not chosen by what I have done for myself (and not where my ancestors came from), then I have no place in the college that would accept me knowing my race, and deny me if they didn't know it.
<p>first of all, i would just like to point out that affirmative action was used to aid women seeking a college education before it was used to benifit underrepersented minorities. </p>
<p>furthermore, as a person of distiguishable color (people can tell that i am not white) i encounter racism and bias on a daily basis. to be competitive in this enviroment (this enviroment being dominated by white, protestant, all-american males), a person of color must seek all advantages possible just to compensate for the advantages denied them. for example, since admissions for non-students was much lower when our parent (or at least my parents) were college applicants and since many non white students are second generation americans (like myself), few non white students have the benifits of being a legacy. now, some may disagree that legacy really benifits an applicant, and they are wrong. i go to a pretty exclusive private school, and the admission rate for legacy applicants is 1/3 while the admission rate for normal applicants is just 1/5. </p>
<p>anyways... under repersented minorities arnt the only people recieving what can percieved as unfair benifits. rich kids get so much they didnt work for. i go to school with a lot of really rich kids. their parents pay for expensive tutors and college counselors. i know this one girl whose parents spend $10,000 a year (on top of a $20,000 a year tution) to buy her a professional college counselor who arranges all these little "leadership" oppurtunities for her. but it doenst even stop there. these kids get the best internships... ever... just because their parents own the companies. i want to intern for the United Nations summit, i want to work for microsoft, i want to "help" research cancer at the hutch institute... wait... i'm poor, nvm</p>
<p>wait wait, so like an albino hispanic will undoubtedly be considered a URM because of the hispanic background, but then you are saying that all URMS are automatically considered in the "students of color" category.</p>
<p>URMs are not necessarily "students of color." They are just ethnicities that are underrepresented in a school. Therefore, schools dont simply consider a URM a student of color, but usually, a student of color is considered a URM.</p>
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I have a question. What if you were white, like Dutch or something, in a country like South Africa? Wouldn't you be able to say you're African-American since you are technically geographically African? Or how about a white person in the Caribbean?
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<p>The general standard is by African descent, not citizenship/nationality. If you were part British and interbred with the natives, then that's a different story.</p>
<p>"color" implies non- anglo/aryan/nordic/northern european. it doesnt mean literally white. if it meant literally white, then tan people wouldnt be considered "white". the term "people of color" exists because the majority of americans are considered ethnically caucasian (white).</p>