how does URM come into play with all colleges (I would also like to know about ivies) ? In know that it’s the whole person that counts when it comes to making the decision, but do they also look at race and gender when it comes to making a decision
Answer, it barely does, contrary to what you might hear. Especially in recent years with more URMs applying.
You still must be highly competitive in multiple areas.
I would also siggest someone who has a few more years as yourself to not become too attached to Ivys, as it shall become increasingly more competitive for URMs in 3 years.
Yes, most schools (but not all) look at race and gender. The Ivies too. Most co-ed schools are looking for gender balance - around 50/50. At LACs (liberal arts colleges), many of which don’t offer business or engineering, that means that you have a slight advantage if you are male, because the applicant pool skews female.
And yes, many schools (with some noteworthy exceptions) do consider URM status. Most schools value the diversity of perspectives that URMs provide as part of a student body. URMs’ applications are viewed in the context of what opportunities they have had and what they have done with what was available to them. The concept here is ‘distance traveled.’ Someone from a low-income background who is also a URM who excelled academically in a resource poor environment will be viewed differently than a URM from an affluent background with highly educated parents. (This is the holistic part.) That is what ‘first generation to attend college’ is also trying to get at. And it also depends on the school and where it is located. Asians are URMs in some parts of the midwest and not on the coasts, for example.
At the individual level it doesn’t mean much. You personally need to get the best grades, test scores and recommendations that you can get. You need to demonstrate that you personally will be an asset to the school community. At most Ivies, there are many highly qualified URM applicants who get turned down every year.