<p>I was just wondering does a West African or Caribbean black immigrant count as African American on a college app?</p>
<p>I would think that West African immigrant would be African American, but Caribbean would be...not. Probably count as "other" and then be specified. Both should be URM, though.</p>
<p>Is Cuban a good URM? How does this ethnicity work in terms of SAT score forgivenesS?</p>
<p>It is probably the same as any other hispanic.</p>
<p>Lets bump this thread up now!!</p>
<p>Can anyone answer my question? Do recent African (black) immigrants count as African American on a college application?</p>
<p>Noone is going to stop a kid with black skin from applying as an african american, that would have to be the dumbest thing on earth. I know a Nigerian applying as an African American, I say go for it.</p>
<p>Thank you for the answer.</p>
<p>By the way, I am Nigerian.</p>
<p>are scores actually lower for different races, or do some people look for something for nothing?</p>
<p>bump ten characters</p>
<p>nigeria represent! ha ok..
yes, you are considered under the african american / black category.</p>
<p>An inssue that has cropped up over recent years is that in most elite schools, most "African Americans" are either recent immigrants from the Carribean or Africa or the first generation children of recent immigrants whose parents are of carribean or African descent and there are actually very few african americans in elite schools who actually have multi-generational roots here in the U.S. (the main group of blacks that Affirmative Action initiatives were put in place to help) so there is a push to identify and recognize the difference between african americans the same way that differences are recognized among other groups.</p>
<p>From harvard Magazine article Roots and Race:</p>
<p>
[quote]
In June, a New York Times article raised a long-simmering issue: the origins and ancestry of Harvard's black students. The piece described the celebratory mood at a reunion of African-American Harvard alumni, who applauded Harvard's progress over the past three decades in enrolling larger numbers of black students. But it also noted that this mood was broken when "some speakers brought up the thorny issue of exactly who those black students are." The question arises because, even though in recent years 7 to 9 percent of Harvard's incoming freshmen (8.9 percent for the class of 2008) have been African Americans, some studies suggest that more than half of these students, and perhaps as many as two-thirds, are West Indian or African immigrants or their children. A substantial number also identify themselves as children of biracial couples.</p>
<p>
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What counts as a URM?</p>
<p>URMs are whoever complains loudly enough to get preferential treatment. </p>
<p>The only truly underrepresented minorities out there are Native Americans.</p>
<p>But, the so-called "true" URMs are Blacks and Hispanics, with Native Americans included. Asians, while a minority, are excluded (hence "underrepresented").</p>
<p>I was just wondering does a West African or Caribbean black immigrant count as African American on a college app?</p>
<p>West Africans and Black Carribeans are black and can check the corresponding African / African-American / Black box with no problems.</p>
<p>In fact, I believe that the true African-Americans are either immigrants from African nations or the children of immigrants from African nations. There are very few American blacks who can definitively trace their ancestry back to a modern African nation.</p>
<p>So, answer to the first question: Blacks and Hispanics (oops, I forgot Native Americans). Answer to the second question: yes.</p>
<p>Generally URMs = African American/Black (which can include some Caribbean heritages; Hispanic which includes numerous backgrounds including Puerto Rican or Cuban; American natives (which includes Hawaiin and Eskimo). At many colleges, women in general are considered URM's for engineering. Note, however, that a usual criteria to be considered a URM for college admission is being a US citizen or a qualified (green card) permanent resident.</p>
<p>Oh yeah I have a green card and all that crap! Thanks!
Also.. Sybbie, it doesn't say that they [Harvard black alumni] are making any action to stop it... so are they?</p>
<p>Fredburger,</p>
<p>It is not a matter of trying to stop it, but when it comes to URM, blacks who were born in and have roots in the U.S. are still underrepresented even amongst the african american pool of candidates and at the universities, so colleges are trying to achieve a more balanced pool even amongst african americans.</p>
<p>Some schools, Brown for example are asking on their application where were you born.</p>
<p>Other schools including those that take the common application (which includes most of the ivies and yes Harvard) are asking the second level question, if you are a permanent resident of the U.S. what is original country of citizenship along with your registration #. Princeton asks the question on their own application as well as the common app. So even if you check off you are african american, if you are not a citizen, they will see that you are a recent immigrant and depending upon the institutional mission could still place you at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>columbia- (page 10)</p>
<p>Um.. I was born here and yes I am a citizen.. duh!</p>
<p>You wrote:</p>
<p>Original question:</p>
<p>
[quote]
I was just wondering does a West African or Caribbean black immigrant count as African American on a college app?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post # 6</p>
<p>
[quote]
Can anyone answer my question? Do recent African (black) immigrants count as African American on a college application?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>post # 9</p>
<p>
[quote]
By the way, I am Nigerian.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Post # 16</p>
<p>
[quote]
Oh yeah I have a green card and all that crap! Thanks!
[/quote]
</p>
<p>On the what are my chances thread you asked:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Looking for URM SAT scores and results </p>
<hr>
<p>Well, I'm black and I want to get to the crux of a big issue here on CC, how much does race play a factor in admittance to an elite college? I'm looking for URMS w/ there SAT score/ GPA and which schools they got accepted to and which they got denied from. </p>
<p>
[/quote]
</p>
<p>In which suze responded:</p>
<p>
[quote]
Being a URM can help a lot, but no school publishes stats. HYP and other top schools get many applications from URMs, so the higher your stats the better. These schools are especially interested in American (not recent African or Caribbean immigrants) blacks from inner city, low income homes. If you fit that description and your record shows you'll be able to handle the college work (SAT at least at the school's 25%), you'll have a good shot.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>She gave you the answer. Despite what you think this is what the trend comes down to and anyone who tells you otherwise is a bit remiss. </p>
<p>Please understand that I am not trying to kill you on this thread but I want you to go into this process with your eyes wide open.</p>
<p>I can tell you first hand as the parent of a URM who attends an Ivy, most of the other black students at least in her class (she's a jr.) are recent immigrants and there are very few blacks attending who have roots in the U.S.</p>
<p>The inherent problem is that U.S. colleges are stumbling in trying to address the legacy of legal ostracism imposed upon the descendants of enslaved Africans in the U.S. As Sybbie pointed out, elite colleges have discovered that among the "blacks" enrolled at their institutions, a good many are not descended from the group that endured slavery and were held back by the Black Codes, Jim Crow, de facto segregation, etc.</p>
<p>We can argue about whether or not lingering deprivation of "historic Black Americans" is largely a matter or race or class. For URM designation, colleges today are trying to target the descendants of enslaved Americans.</p>