<p>Is a student in the US, born in Bangledash, considered a URM? (so that makes him Bangledashi)</p>
<p>Um no.......</p>
<p>Race is a funny thing to define. In terms of biology and genetics, it doesn't exist. On the other hand, the US Census Bureau has hundreds of different racial groups. For the purposes of admissions, it isn't going to help you. URM's are mainly african-americans (even if they consider themselves Central or South Americans), Hispanics/Latinos, and Native Americans. Asians may be considered URM's in colleges with a low % on campus. Unfortunately, this doesn't include very many elite colleges where they are actually over-represented. </p>
<p>Can everybody refrain from turning this into another thread on affirmative action? It was just one question.</p>
<p>First of all, do you even know where Bangladesh is? It is a country that was formed only 35 years ago and is the size of whole NewYork State. There is about a few million of us. How are we not URD? How is African Americans URD when they outnumber us by A LOT, same with HISPANIC. Bangledeshis are minority in population numbers comapared to African Americans and Hispanics. There is barely event six percent in USA that are Bangladeshi. SO CHECK YOUR RESOURCES AGAIN PLEASE</p>
<p>Not Urd, I Meant Urm</p>
<p>They are over-represented at the Ivies....if that's what you're looking at....dufus is correct.</p>
<p>I just want to say that I dont know who BestMiler1 is and I have no affiliation with him other than the same name</p>
<p>There Are Lots Of Indians In Ivies... No Doubt.. But NoT THAT MANY Bangladeshis.... You Cant Call Canadians Americans Same As You Cant Call Americans Canadians.... Same As India And Bangladesh</p>
<p>Best....I know that Bangladeshi aren't Indians...duh, lol, or they would be called Indians. They ARE over-represented in the top 25 schools.</p>
<p>I hope affirmitive action works for me when the admission office sees my application for berkeley</p>
<p>Haha...you're not a URM, but if you say it is....it still won't help you @ Berkeley...Berkeley doesn't really have a minority group per se.</p>
<p>Asians can be broken down in Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Malaysian,......</p>
<p>Your point that there may not be alot of Bengalis in the USA and that they are not Indians could very well be true, but affirmative action is not really about that issue. They are not trying to make sure that the correct % of people from all nations are represented in the colleges.</p>
<p>UC Berkeley Freshman Selection Process
Evaluation (All Berkeley Colleges)
The purpose of the selection process is to identify applicants who are mostly likely to contribute to Berkeleys intellectual and cultural community and, ultimately, to the State of California.* Selection is based on a comprehensive review of all informationboth academic and personalpresented in the application.
All applications are read in their entirety by professionally trained readers.* After independently reading and analyzing a file, the reader determines a comprehensive score which is the basis upon which the student is ultimately admitted or denied.* In addition, admissions managers conduct multiple checks for consistency and completeness throughout the reading process. While this evaluation process is based on human judgments rather than a system that quantifies factors and incorporates them into a numerical formula, the extensive reader training,<em>comprehensive reading of a file, as well as other monitoring procedures, ensure that the process is highly reliable.</em> Formal tests of reliability are conducted regularly.
The admission review reflects the readers thoughtful consideration of the full spectrum of the applicants qualifications, based on all evidence provided in the application, and viewed in the context of the applicants academic and personal circumstances and the overall strength of the Berkeley applicant pool.* Using a broad concept of merit, readers employ the following criteria which carry no pre-assigned weights.
1.* The applicants full record of achievement in college preparatory work in high school, including the number and rigor of courses taken and grades earned in those courses.* Consideration will be given to completion of courses beyond the Universitys A-G minimums; strength of the senior year course load; and performance in honors, college-level, Advanced Placement, and International Baccalaureate Higher Level (IBHL) courses, to the extent that such courses are available to the applicant.* In assessing achievement levels, consideration is given to individual grades earned, to the pattern of achievement over time, and to an applicants achievement relative to that of others in his or her high school, including whether he or she is among those identified as Eligible in the Local Context.*
2.* Personal qualities of the applicant, including leadership ability, character, motivation, tenacity, initiative, originality, intellectual independence, responsibility, insight, maturity, and demonstrated concern for others and for the community.* Readers also consider whether the applicant has challenged himself or herself academically and in other activities, and the extent of success in meeting such challenges.
3.* Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus.* In addition to a broad range of intellectual interests and achievements, admission officers seek diversity in personal background and experience.* To evaluate evidence of special talents an applicant may possess, the Admissions Office may seek the advice of Berkeley faculty members in relevant disciplines (e.g., music, art, drama, mathematics)
4.* Performance on standardized tests, including two required SAT Subject Tests in different subject areas selected from history, literature, mathematics (Math Level 2 only), science or a language other than English and the SAT<em>Reasoning Test</em>(or ACT Assessment plus Writing Test).* In addition, any<em>Advanced Placement or IBHL examinations the applicant may have taken will be considered.</em> Applicants who have not had the opportunity to take Advanced Placement or IBHL courses or who have chosen not to take the examinations for these courses are not disadvantaged.* Test scores are evaluated in the context of all other academic information in the application and preference is given to tests that show a demonstrable relationship to curriculum.* Documented imprecision and other known weaknesses of standardized tests will be taken into account.* Under no circumstances does Berkeley employ minimum scores or cut-offs of any kind.
5.* Achievement in academic enrichment programs, including but not limited to those sponsored by the University of California.* This criterion is measured by time and depth of participation, by the academic progress made by the applicant during that participation, and by the intellectual rigor of the particular program.
6.* Other evidence of achievement.* This criterion recognizes exemplary, sustained achievement in any field of intellectual or creative endeavor; accomplishments in<em>the performing arts and athletics; employment; leadership in school or community organizations or activities; and community service.
Race, ethnicity, gender, religion and national origin are excluded from the criteria.</em> Preference is given to California residents in the selection process.
All achievements, both academic and non-academic, are considered in the context of the opportunities an applicant has had, and the readers assessment is based on how fully the applicant has taken advantages of those opportunities.* For an applicant who has faced any hardships or unusual circumstances, readers consider the maturity, determination and insight with which he or she has responded to and/or overcome them.* In evaluating the context in which academic accomplishments have taken place, readers consider the strength of the high school curriculum, including the availability of honors and Advanced Placement courses and the total number of college preparatory course available, among other indicators of the resources available within the school.* When appropriate and feasible, they look comparatively at the achievements of applicants in the same pool who attended the same high school and therefore might be expected to have similar opportunities and challenges.* They also consider other contextual factors that bear directly on the applicants achievement, including linguistic background, parental education level, and other indicators of support available in the home.*
The review also recognizes a wide range of talent and creativity that is not necessarily reflected in traditional measures of academic achievement but which, in the judgment of the reader, is a positive indicator of the students ability to succeed at Berkeley and beyond; to contribute meaningfully and uniquely to intellectual and social interchanges with faculty and fellow students, both inside and outside the classroom; and to make a special contribution to our society and culture.* In applying the criteria above, readers carefully consider evidence provided in the personal statement, as well as in the academic record and list of honors and achievements. For example, the essay may reveal a level of maturity and ability to reflect on ones life experience in relation to the larger world that indicates a high potential to benefit from and contribute to the richness of the intellectual life of the campus.* Or it may reveal special qualities of leadership and initiative that indicate unique potential to contribute to the intellectual, social and political life of the State and Nation.
Selection
UC Berkeley is among the most selective universities in the country, becoming more competitive for freshman applicants each year.* This past year Berkeley received more than 37,000 applications, with more than 90% coming from UC-eligible students. Generally the campus is able to admit about one in four freshman applicants for the fall term.
Because of student demand, selectivity varies among Colleges, and --in the College of Engineering-- among majors; for example, it is more difficult to gain admission to the Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences major than to the Mechanical Engineering major.
For applications to the College of Letters and Science, Natural Resources and Environmental Design, no consideration is given to the indicated major in the review process.* However, for the professional colleges of Chemistry and Engineering, demonstrated interest in the major is also taken into consideration.* Furthermore, in the colleges of Chemistry and Engineering, Berkeley faculty in these disciplines have also asked that readers place added emphasis on sustained achievement in mathematics and science, and have indicated a preference that these applicants take the SAT II level 2C mathematics examination and that they choose for their third SAT II a science examination.</p>
<p>For Fall 2005</p>
<p>Mean HS GPA: 4.17
Mean SAT I Reasoning: 1354
Mean Sat II Writing: 677
Mean Sat II Math: 690</p>
<p>I don't think I've ever seen a college quite describe it that way before. It looks like something for a legal brief, certainly not be published on a website or used by adcoms.</p>
<p>Unfortunatly not, It doesn't make much sense to me either how Blacks and Latinos are considers URM even though they are greatly populated through out this country and have all the same advantages as any white american.</p>
<p>The OP is not saying that it doesn't make sense for Blacks and Latinos (you forgot Native Americans). The OP is saying that he thinks that Bengalis should be included too. :)</p>
<p>(Incidently, when my son was young, I would tell him to hold his hand up against a sheet of paper, and then ask him if his hand was white.)</p>
<p>best: affirmative action is illegal in california.
fool.</p>
<p>Yes, AA is illegal in California, but no liberal college is just going to just roll over and take that. It would be naive to think that Berkeley's admission policies are totally race neutral. Notice the following quotes from the legalese in Berkeley's official admissions policy. </p>
<p>"Likely contributions to the intellectual and cultural vitality of the campus"</p>
<p>"admission officers seek diversity in personal background and experience."</p>
<p>"Documented imprecision and other known weaknesses of standardized tests will be taken into account."</p>
<p>"They also consider other contextual factors that bear directly on the applicants achievement."</p>
<p>"to contribute meaningfully and uniquely to intellectual and social interchanges with faculty and fellow students, both inside and outside the classroom; and to make a special contribution to our society and culture."</p>
<p>well... i'm white. so i'd like to believe they are race neutral, at least for my sake : )</p>
<p>You might find this March, 2005 interview with UC Berkeley President Robert Birgineau interesting</p>
<p>"The system is broken': Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau discusses Proposition 209 and its consequences at UC Berkeley"</p>
<p>There is also a link to his orginial opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times at the bottom of the interview.</p>