URGENT! Regarding Race/Ethnicity!

Colleges and Universities A-Z Harvard University
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<p>Hey all!</p>

<p>First of all, I just discovered this site, and it's AWESOME! Perfect way for me to feed my unhealthy obsession with college. And sorry if this is not in the right place to be posting this, but anyways...</p>

<p>For all of my AP's, SAT's, ACT's, State Tests, School Transcripts, etc., I am listed as Asian (I'm Chinese). However, I am also Mongolian, Hawaiian and Samoan by blood (my mom's family is...ridiculous, and my dad is also a little Mongolian). Despite that, my entire extended family is based in China and are a part of the Chinese culture (in other words, my mom was born and raised in China, but is Hawaiian, Samoan and Mongolian). </p>

<p>That being said, although my mom and I have identified ourselves as "Chinese" (hence checking off "Asian" in my forms, tests etc.), I am wondering if I can say on my CommonApp that I'm Samoan, Mongolian and Hawaiian as well. It's very confusing and ambiguous.</p>

<p>Don't get me wrong, my "culture" is China, but I do identify with my other cultures to a certain extent (like my grandma telling me stories about Mongolian culture).</p>

<p>So some background: 75% Chinese, 25% Mongolian + Samoan (I'm more mongolian than samoan, but nobody has any idea of the proportion). I've also not written about any other culture than my Chinese culture, since...that's the culture I MOST identify with.</p>

<p>So out of all of this. Do I check "Samoan" and so on, on the CommonApp? I feel like if I do, colleges might check my tests and transcripts and be like "well you never put Pacific Islander here...", but I didn't realize that it was a big deal. Also, out of curiosity, am I a "URM"?</p>

<p>Thanks so much!
That's quite a post, looking back on it. So if you could give me your two cents and how you know/your source of reference, that would be AMAZING.</p>

<p>you ROCK!</p>

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<p>just for clarity:</p>

<p>I guess I’m mostly worried that if I DO put down those other “races”, that colleges will check my records, and see that my parents have immigrated “from China” and are therefore only “Chinese”. In other words, there is no record…other than in China, that I am of mixed “races”.</p>

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<p>I have the same problem. My ancestors were African 50,000 years ago. I don’t know how to clarify that on my application. Help?</p>

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<p>I don’t remember how the form reads, but if you feel your mother’s Samoan heritage is significant, it might be to your advantage to choose mixed race Asian-Pacific Islander. Asian is not a URM, and some feel, rightly or wrongly, that it’s a disadvantage to be designated Asian.</p>

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<p>lol very funny…but you know what I mean. If we could all put down “African American”, that would be…crazy.</p>

<p>And it’s not a HUGE part of my identity, but my grandmother was very Mongolian and my grandfather was maybe half Samoan. I guess I “can” put myself as a mixed race since by blood I am Mongolian and Samoan. But do they MEAN by identity or blood? I mean if it were by blood, then I’d have no issues putting down those other races, but if it were by identity then it would be harder for me to decide.</p>

<p>And I know Asians are not URM’s. I’m just wondering if underrepresented minority asians are URM’s haha. Like being Mongolian is nowhere NEAR the same as being Chinese, Korean or Japanese. </p>

<p>But my main question is if it will “hurt” my application if I put down Mongolian/Samoan, since they colleges can’t really trace my lineage anywhere on my application, let alone through generation records in America (I’m first generation American).</p>

<p>My hope is that it will help. I don’t mean to seem ashamed of being asian, I mean half of my essays have to do with my research experiences in China, but I was just hoping that I could take some good out of that situation.</p>

<p>Anyone else? (that isn’t sarcastic ? lol)</p>

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<p>I don’t know about you but if Harvard rejects me for being Chinese, let it be.</p>

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<p>No I understand. It does suck to be Asian in this case. But I’m lucky enough to soften that blow and maybe even turn it into an advantage! (especially if I emphasize the Mongolian part).</p>

<p>I think I need to call commonapp or something.</p>

<p>Anyways, I still need input, so anyone, feel free to add!</p>

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<p>You should mark whatever race/ethnicity is an honest reflection of who you are. The fact that you’re just now deciding to mark off Pacific Islander but never did it before suggests that it may not be so accurate.</p>

<p>If you mark Pacific Islander, you should be prepared to discuss your Pacific Islander identity at your interview. Not to say you’ll have to for sure, but you should be prepared.</p>

<p>Gaming the system is a no-no. But it’s up to you to be honest.</p>

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<p>It strikes me that there’s been a lot of Asians discussion about “if top colleges reject me, it’s because they discriminate against Asians”. </p>

<p>No one really will accept that top colleges reject me because I look exactly like 50% of the applicant pool and nothing about me stands out.</p>

<p>(I’m Asian, BTW)</p>