<p>In many chance threads (especially the ones aiming for Harvard, etc), people talk about being the stereotypical Asian applicant.</p>
<p>What does this mean? As an Asian kid from California, I realize I'm even more susceptible to this label, but what exactly defines the "typical Asian applicant"?</p>
<p>I think it means high numbers…math/sci awards…probably can throw music in there too.</p>
<p>Oh gosh, that sounds like eighty percent of my school population.</p>
<p>So…overachieving, math-excelling, science-researching, tennis-playing pianists?</p>
<p>Yeah, basically. Asian syndrome. The perfect child.</p>
<p>Asian applicant= 4.0 GPA+ pretty high SATs (with equally high ACTs)+winning some math/science competition+ internship over the summer (or going abroad to help orphans)+tennis/badminton for 4 years+music (orchestra,band). </p>
<p>But it varies.</p>
<p>^ Add Saturday school, and you have pretty much nailed it.</p>
<p>Being a typical asian is fine. My typical asian friend made it into MIT EA a few weeks ago.</p>
<p>Schools want diversity of skin color, but also diversity of thought. If they have 50 asians with math/sci awards that play piano and wants to be a doctor, and then an asian who has spoken to middle/elementary school kids statewide on bullying and wants to be a teacher or psychologist…assuming all have equally high scores, I’d choose the one who stands out.</p>
<p>@Sri Being a typical Asian applicant is a bad thing, however, only at the top schools. Obviously, there are many schools that would kill for a 4.0+ student with strong SATs and some ECs. The issue is that many of these students apply to the top schools and, with so many of them accomplishing similar things, one can easily seem to be an asian automaton and lose the ability to stand out, a particularly valuable asset in applications to the best schools.</p>
<p>Yep you’re an Asian kid, be proud of it!</p>
<p>No, youre fine. Not a typical asian.</p>
<p>You would not be typical if you don’t have a 240 PSAT and a 2400 SAT.</p>
<p>I wrote my Common App essay on being Asian and straddling that world of being a minority in a majority. Oh my gosh, I cringe when I hear how that sounds. That’s definitely going to hurt, isn’t it? It wasn’t particularly original when I look back at it, either. Ugh! I am so anxious right now–I already submitted all my apps.</p>
<p>Is there any consolation at this point? Lol. I tried really hard with my supplement essays and they turned out better. Does that make up for a mediocre Common App essay?</p>
<p>Relax, espectaculo. Even if the essay didn’t make you stand out, it probably didn’t hurt either. It’s the total picture that matters. Hopefully your other essays and teacher recs round out the picture and leave the impression of someone who would be a contributor to the campus, a nice person to be around, and a thoughtful student.</p>
<p>You are who you are: celebrate it. This discussion of the “typical Asian” has relevance in selective school admissions: absolutely. However on the flip side, any academically achieving and self-motivated student is slated for a successful collegiate career, wouldn’t you agree?</p>
<p>Sure, the top schools want unique features and the tennis/piano/sci-math pool of kids can blend together. So what? One goes to Stanford, the rest to other schools – yet all will contribute tons to their families and communities. Is this bad? </p>
<p>Here’s the thing: look at other communities – the urban poor, recent immigrants, kids of undocumented immigrants, Native americans. Don’t even look at their acceptance rate to top colleges – look at how many will even graduate from HIGH SCHOOL. At the nearby large urban district where I live, two in 100 entering ninth graders will go on to enroll at a four-year university in four years while 77 of his/her classmates won’t even graduate high school in that same period of time. This is a real statistic. And by the way, the large local university has a 34% graduation rate for black kids. If we extrapolate, then only 1 out of 150 kids graduates from a 4-year program. And this has been ongoing – many generations of our fellow Americans are being left behind.</p>
<p>How many of your “typical Asian” classmates is dropping out at 16 to support his new baby or got locked up or dropped out due to substance abuse? How many of your older sibs or cousins are in or have graduated college? Well, if you were a black kid in my nearby large city, one in 150 would likely guarantee that you wouldn’t know anyone in your entire family with a college diploma.</p>
<p>It’s all about perspective…</p>
<p>Ugh. Here’s to being Asian <em>and</em> international (Canada). Cheers (with myself and other international Asians)</p>
<p>@T26E4- you don’t get it. The asian kid may understand that they’ll all do well in college, but they want to be that ONE that goes to stanford. They don’t care about what anyone else does, as long as they get into Top 20 schools. What you said means nothing to these types of people.</p>
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<p>I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ll be the first to say that I am disgusted and offended by this generalization.</p>
<p>I completely understand T26E4’s take on the perspective of things, and I share similar views.</p>
<p>If your comment was made out of bitter resentment for “the Asian kid”, then I don’t understand why you chose to contribute to this thread. And if, anywhere in my posts, did I say something that offended you, I apologize. But just because I’m “the Asian kid” doesn’t mean I “don’t care as long as I get into Top 20 schools.”</p>
<p>ouch… i am not typical, which is bad because I am asian, people would think I am perfect, but I am far from being perfect. So I am in disadvantage being Asian, and not the smart one either.</p>
<p>And I am agree with eliane. Getting into top 20 is good, but it is not something for me to lose my moral. And I guess I’m not appreciate about the “with these type of people”. Most of your typical asian kids are usually born in America or have parents that don’t mind spending some extra bucks on their education. I grew up in downtown of ghetto area where my mom (single parent) goes to work 15 hours a day and still not enough to get by. We can hardly eat let alone having $60 bucks to spend on piano lesson or saturday school. Then my type Asian doesn’t have the same opportunity as your “type” of Asian.</p>
<p>Well each person is different I guess. I would be happy if I can get into a four years college and be the first one to complete high school. You need to get out of your world more to see the rest of it. It is true that we Asian or self-motivating, but generalize us into a bunch of snobby kids is just wrong.</p>
<p>There’s nothing wrong with being a typical asian applicant. In some ways, I’m one as well… believe me, it’s better than having no awards, no achievements, no extracurriculars, etc.</p>
<p>I just feel like Asian applicants have to work harder and have higher-than-average stats to be admitted, simply because the Asian pool is so competitive. I guess I fit the “typical” Asian stereotype in that I work hard, have good scores/stats, and want to go into medicine, but it’s annoying when people automatically assume that about me when they don’t even know me. For example, when someone asks me what I want to major in, they always stop me before I say it and go: “Oh, wait. I know. You’re probably pre-med!” or “You’re going into business or law, right?”</p>
<p>It’s very frustrating to have people view you a certain way when they don’t even know you. I would like a chance to tell them about myself before they begin to slap the stereotype on me, but that’s unlikely.</p>