<p>Sorry to post in several different schools, but I would just like to know if being gay counts as URM status? It has certainly had a huge impact on my life, but because I am not 'out' due to my heavy involvement in church and other circumstances (mainly living in the South), I don't even know if I should mention it....</p>
<p>I have no idea actually, I'm sure it depends on the school. I'm not sure if people would recruit specifically, but if you play up it well in your application (essay maybe?) then I suppose it could be an interesting side to you. </p>
<p>I'm from a large city in the north, so I have no idea as to how smaller southern schools might react, but the bigger schools (and the ivies, I'm sure) would react positively. There's no need to hide it in your application if it's been a big part of your life - you want them to know as much about you as possible, after all.</p>
<p>I doubt it. Have you ever seen a pie chart that was broken down into heterosexual, homosexuals, bisexuals, transgenders, and misc.?</p>
<p>It's definitely not a URM, however it could possibly be seen as hardship or adversity.</p>
<p>It will not hurt you at Yale, which has one of the largest and best funded Gay/Lesbian Studies programs in the U.S., with some of the best faculty, and attracts a large number of gay/lesbian students as a result.</p>
<p>I'm gay. I didn't make a big deal of it in my application though. I mean, i mentioned things I did for the gay and lesbian centers, etc....but no big deal.</p>
<p>It CAN be seen as a hardship...but its so overused in my opinion and in a book i read on essays or something. Not a good idea to write an essay about it (unless its damn good)...but you can mention it somewhere. Hope this helped</p>
<p>you might want to mention it, but don't belabor the point. Hopefully, there are other special aspects to yourself other than the fact that you're gay ......</p>
<p>I'm straight. But I didn't mention being straight in my application. Hope this doesn't hurt my chances.</p>
<p>Ouch, netshark. I dont know....I think you should have mentioned it somewhere at least - hope the Yale adcom doesn't catch your mistake!!!! :)</p>
<p>To reitorate: it won't help nearly as much as URM status, but it could help in the hardship/adversity category. </p>
<p>Btw, Yale is really good for gay student, and Yale also has a decently-sized gay population. When I did an overnight, one of my host's friends was like "my gay roommate gets way more ass than I do."</p>
<p>I don't see this as any sort of "minority advantage" in admissions, but I may be wrong. After all, there isn't a place to list sexuality on the application. I think institutions like Yale understand that they will end up with a decent-sized gay population; there isn't really a reason to specifically recruit them (although the same argument could be made in other cases...I think this is an interesting situation).</p>
<p>mottos from yale about the gay population:</p>
<p>one in four, maybe more
one in three, is it me?
one in two, COULD BE YOU!</p>
<p>ahaha just thought i'd share. yeah there's a healthy population of gay/lesbians at yale, but i don't know if they factor that beneficially in the admissions process unless it was some kind of hardship you've really endured. either way, your sexuality won't/shouldn't count against you...</p>
<p>it certianly won't hurt you - yale is, after all, the gay ivy. there was just an article in the new journal, the yale/new haven publication that i love, about how yale is really not as dedicated to its gay community as other colleges - while there are a lot of groups, there is no established support space or funding, which blows. and i'm talking to a few yale lesbians who say there aren't enough girls - i wish they wouldn't tell me these things!
that said, there isn't a place to put it on the application, so you could make it an essay... but yeah, if it isn't great, don't do it. i don't think i even put that i was a memeber of GSA on my application and it didn't hurt any. either way, there are already enough fags in new haven (hell, i'm here). I agree with everyone else, it won't hurt or help either way.
i'm totally with you on the stuff with church, though - that sucks. i've been going to God Camp in colorado for 9 years, and signed my first contract that i would 'not engage in homosexual relationships' this summer. the most upsetting part was when the camp director told a group of us that he wasn't sure he trusted gay people's self control in cabin situations with campers of the same sex. luckily, i managed to make it through the whole summer without raping any of my girls in their sleep!
sorry, this post has been a totally random tangent rant. i'll blame it on it being 2 am - i'm going to bed! sleep well all, and i'm sending you all a big gay hug!</p>
<p>im a gay yalie, just thought id lend some perspective here. there are a LOT of gay guys and girls at yale, and theres no problem getting involved in the gay community here. im not very into it, but its just not my thing, i have other interests and time constraints. there are classes and support groups and social mixers and other activities--so dont worry about yale not being gay-friendly or anything. i didnt mention it on my yale application, so i dont know if it would have made a difference. i did use "the gay experience" as an essay for a couple other schools, with mixed results, so no, i dont think it counts as an URM, and unless you can put an interesting spin on it, or can really make it sound amazing and beautiful, i wouldnt write an essay about it.</p>
<p>Does it affect who you are in a major way?</p>
<p>While many people have relationships, this isn't the defining point of their Yale application. Unless it was a hurdle to overcome, a defining point in your life, etc., then don't. Yale has no business, nor do any other schools, deciding admission on the basis of sexual orientation, unless it changes who the student is (this is far from a given cause/effect relationship.).</p>
<p>woo hooo i'm gonna get laid!!</p>
<p>AHEM.</p>
<p>And yes, it does affect your identity in a huge way - like being white. or black or asian, for that matter. i didn't write an essay about my little wasp ass, though. have we killed this topic?</p>
<p>Goldoro - saw your profile on xy....quite boring I must say :) add something!</p>
<p>why lol? u wanna hook up?</p>
<p>Haha. Oh baby. Well, a picture or something at least - unless you like your anonymity. Anyway, you wouldn't wanna hook up with a Yale reject :)</p>
<p>excuse me ignorance. What's URM status?</p>