What qualifies as a minority?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Columbia University
1

Hey CC!

I’m not too familiar with what Columbia considers URMs. My mother is white and my father is black (African American). Because I am probably 50/50 Majority/URM, does my minority status even matter? Or is mixed race a minority in itself?

I’m not counting on this to get me in, but if it’s to my advantage, I’ll take it…

2

At Harvard: blonde, blue-eyed, 31/32 white, 1/32 native american counts as a “minority”

3

Black, Hispanic and American Indian are considered URM. You would be considered a URM

4

Yes, you would be considered URM. Check the box. Many schools would value your diversity.

5

Wow @GMTplus7 you really have something against those 1/32 Native kids don’t you?

6

Yeah, that plus my FB associate boasting about her blonde, completely white-looking 1/16 african-american child being a National Achievement Finalist.

7

@GMTplus7 My son is blonde with blue eyes and a registered member of a Native tribe. You do realize not all Natives are dark haired with brown eyes, right?

8

Each college, where legally allowed, if free to determine what it considers to be URM with no requirement that it be publically shared. Having said that, I would say that it is a safe bet that Columbia would consider you are URM.

9

“Check the African American box and wait for your acceptance letter.” Not true these days at Columbia College. Two African-American students I interviewed, who had excellent credentials, weren’t admitted. My sense is that URM status today gives a substantial advantage, but isn’t the slam dunk it used to be several decades ago.

10

What about half asian(thai) half white?

11

@dimsum321 From what I’ve gathered from the CC Community, those who identify as Asian are classified as an ORM (Over-Represented Minority) at Columbia… That’s not to say that your mixed-race won’t help you though! I wish you the best of luck!

12

GMTplus7: Guess that friend was making such boasts about last year’s pool of candidates, as the program no longer exists.

Interesting situation, your friend’s. Familiar. Tell me, what is the most troubling about being able to reconcile the hook/URM status of said friend’s child - is it the advantages of social privilege that will accrue to him/her anyway, and then the option to opt-in when it is advantageous? (Not a dig at you here. Truly interested.)