<p>For example, on the commonapp it asks you (optionally) to mark all the ethnicities that apply to you. However, what if you did not check any, because you simply did not want your race to work against you (like if you are asian)?</p>
<p>Would the adcoms try to guess at your ethnicity?</p>
<p>If you’re Asian and have an Asian name (aka Li Xiang or Daniel Li), colleges will know that you’re Asian. However, if you choose not to self-report your race/ethnicity, it cannot work for or against you.</p>
<p>If you’re Asian or White, you can either report your ethnicity or leave it blank. It really won’t make a significant difference. If you’re Hispanic, African American, or Native American, however, you’ll obviously want to report your race/ethnicity, as it will help you significantly when applying to top colleges like Yale and Dartmouth.</p>
<p>Well, my name sounds like an African American name, but I am amerasian, and from what I have read on the net, asians are severely discriminated against. Thus I will either go as white or nothing.</p>