<p>Heya,</p>
<p>I've got a question regarding URMs.
Are only native Americans Underrepresented minors, or do by any chance Internationals (Like myself - ethnic Tibetan) count as well?
A quick answer would do, I really appretiate your help.</p>
<p>How do you relate "ethnic Tibetan" to "Native American"? Tibet is in ASIA. Central Asia and North America are about as far apart as two areas can get while remaining on this planet. Your ethnicity is Asian - just like the other millions of Asians and Asian Americans applying. Besides, to put Native American on an application, you have to be affliated with a tribe and prove it.</p>
<p>Karajanhra, Rangzen is asking if International ethnic groups count as URMS, just like Native Americans. He/She isn't claiming that they're a Native American.</p>
<p>And, sorry, I don't think so Rangzen. They'll probably just consider you Asian, although your experiences in Tibet could be pretty interesting and could be an essay if you wanted.</p>
<p>Good question, but "native" in this case only applies to the first nations people of the USA.</p>
<p>Native USAns are given an advantage in part because of oppressive past treatment by the US Government; native people of some other country don't meet that exact qualification.</p>
<p>(But you could argue that you are 1) a member of some first nations group, and 2) have been harmed by the US Gov. Heh!)</p>
<p>So - being a super minority wherever I go doesnt help me?
As in diversity stuff :)</p>
<p>Nope. Here in American colleges, we like blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. If it's Asian or it doesn't look like a minority when you put it on a brochure cover, it doesn't count. Minorities here are defined not by the context of their character, but by the color of their skin. :)</p>
<p>But like brillar said, you could write an essay about it. Probably wouldn't help much, though, since the Ivies and other top colleges get tons of foreign Asian applications.</p>
<p>Well we actually do look a tad bit different from the Chinese =)
Not that much from mongolians tho :(</p>
<p>Rangzen,</p>
<p>Believe me, if you are the first Tibetan to apply to the college, or the only one to apply in a given year, the international student office will certainly notice. And it can make a difference if they are interested in having diversity within the international population.</p>
<p>Being Tibetan will not automatically get you into HYPS but it may make a difference at other colleges.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>Who cares about HYPs ^_^
I aim for UCLA and USC =)</p>
<p>Actually, you may be able to use it as an advantage. If you are a citizen of that country and have items related to Tribet (internship, voluntee work etc.), you may be able to use that information as a tie breaker.</p>
<p>My brother used his summer internship in micro-credit in a third world country to gain admission to an Ivy-League school. It wasn't the only thing, but I know it helped.</p>
<p>Two students equally qualified: 1 would be the first one from Tibet and the 2nd the 3,000th one from India/China/Japan/Philippines etc. Who would get the last spot? Demographic balancing applies to international students as well. Colleges want diversity in all ranks. Why is it so much harder for Indians to get into Stanford/MIT that other Asians?</p>
<p>So my mom is Indian and my dad is Nepalese. Even though I was born in India, my passport says I was born in Nepal (weird, huh?), so I am of Nepalese nationality (even though I'm technically Indian). Will this benefit me?</p>
<p>
[quote]
native people of some other country don't meet that exact qualification.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I think Tibetans meet the qualification just as well as Native Americans do. Just because the Chinese government doesn't allow a nightly report on it, the oppression of Tibetans is outrageous, and for it to be happening in the 21st century is just as bad as whatever the American government did to the Native Americans. </p>
<p>But Rangzen, yes, you may be categorized with other Asians but your essays will set you apart. You're not Han Chinese... that already puts you apart from all the other hundreds of thousands of Chinese out there in the United States.</p>
<p>Oppression, oh lawl</p>
<p>
[quote]
If you are a citizen of that country and have items related to Tribet
[/quote]
Tibet isn't a country, so he'd be a citizen of China. And for goodness sake, don't just jump on the bandwagon bashing China and the whole Tibet situation; do some actual research into the topic.</p>
<p>This was just a question regarding URM status, not about discussing whats happening or happened in Tibet.</p>
<p>But CDN_dancer, you definitely seem to have that "I am so unique and know the REAL truth" feeling about yourself.
Always against the Mainstream, huh? ;-)</p>
<p>You know that citizenship != ethnicity :)
And now try to figure out why I only WOULD be of Chinese citizenship but am not. Why I havent ever seen Tibet, the country I view as my homeland.</p>
<p>Do some research yourself.
Try to use as many sources as possible next time.</p>
<p>If I gave the impression that I think I know everything there is to know about the Tibet/China situation, I apologize because that wasn't my intent. I readily admit I need to do more research into the topic before I can form a better, solid opinion; what I was trying to encourage was doing more research, and not just relying on Western media reports as there have been some distortions, based on what research I have done at this point.</p>
<p>Alright :)
I agree that too many people treat the Tibet - China problem too polarized, as if there was only black and white.</p>
<p>To get back to my question...
I doubt that the Universities I am going to apply to will have more Tibetans applying, and I will definitely mention my ethnicity in my essay. It will ofcourse fit into the context.
My teacher told me he would devote some sentences to that in his recommendation as well.</p>
<p>So are there any other thoughts?</p>
<p>You're not going to get into top American colleges on basis of being Tibetan - that's a fact. I don't care if you're the only Tibetan to apply in 20 years; you still need to have stellar grades, test scores, extracurriculars, slammin' essays and recommendations, the "oomph" factor (sometimes the same thing as luck), and (since you're international) the ability to pay full tuition wouldn't hurt. Even if the admissions people that read your applications pay any attention to the fact that you're Tibetan, you won't be getting anywhere near the benefits that an African American, Hispanic, or Native American person would (if any at all), so it might be best to focus your energy on other areas of your application.</p>
<p>karjanhra - No matter what ethnicity, to get into top schools everything else must be in line. And being full pay is a big deal for internationals. But if you are the only Tibetan applicant in a class(and I would not be at all suprised if this person will be), you are going almost certainly going to get the same benefit when it is 'close' as someone of another minority. And 'focusing energy on other parts of the applicantion'? That isn't something you put energy into, do you want to understand what it means? Yes. But energy? Um, how?</p>
<p>If there are experiences associated with life as a Tibetan forced out by the Chinese government that could be used to form an essay or some other materials - It could be a very significant benefit. With the 'Free Tibet' movement, and the Olympics in Beijing, there is a further incentive for a school to bring in someone who could truly add to that discussion. In fact, I would not at all be surprised to see the college that Rangzen chooses feature him/her in the viewbook of whatever in a couple years. This is the sort of situation that college LOVE to feature.</p>
<p>Energy = time spent worrying about it. </p>
<p>I have doubts about the value of being a minority that colleges don't put much effort into recruiting - especially since Rangzen doesn't actually live (and either hasn't lived in at all or hasn't lived in in the last 12 years, if his/her Chances thread is true) in Tibet. Anyway, it's pointless to argue; one college might eat the story up while another might see him/her as one of its countless Asian applicants.</p>