What should I put for race?

Applying to College
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<p>MODERATOR'S NOTE TO "quick race question" THREAD: </p>

<p>This thread, which asks a classic kind of question about how to fill out a college application, has been merged with the main FAQ and discussion thread on ethnic self-identification in college admissions. </p>

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<p>For those colleges that do not use the Common Application, the categories are sometimes made up by the colleges, even though the federal government is trying, by regulation, to make college questions on race and ethnicity more uniform in format by next year (fall 2010). You COULD mark "other" if the college doesn't give you a single category that fits you, or you could leave the question blank. You could certainly very legitimately mark "multiracial" on any form that has that category (which federal regulations would discourage). </p>

<p>The self-identification choices on this year's Common Application </p>

<p><a href="https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/CommonApp2008.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/docs/downloadforms/CommonApp2008.pdf&lt;/a> </p>

<p>mentioned just for comparison, are </p>

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<p>As the form notes, all of those choices are OPTIONAL, which is the law in the United States. For the Common Application colleges, which are not what you were asking about, you would be warranted to check nothing at all, or to check "white," or to check "Asian American," or to check both of those. As you have already noticed, there is no such category as "multiracial" on that form. I see you are taking care to look at the exact language of a college application form when considering how to fill it out. </p>

<p>Good luck in your applications. </p>

<p>P.S. The first few posts at the top of this thread give more background information, with links to official information, including the federal regulations that will make the college ethnicity questions on application forms more nearly uniform by next year.</p>

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<p>^ What's the difference between Asian and Asian American?</p>

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<p>thanks a lot! That was really helpful tokenadult. :)</p>

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<p>
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What's the difference between Asian and Asian American?

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<p>I'm not sure myself (this distinction is not made in the federal regulations, so it is not officially defined), but I think it refers to the difference between a first-generation immigrant and an American-born person of otherwise the same ethnic heritage. In the Chinese-American community, a distinction is made (by some people, not everyone, and some people find the distinction offensive) between "F.O.B." ("fresh off the boat") and "A.B.C." ("American-born Chinese") persons. There would, of course, generally be some substantial CULTURAL differences between a person who spent early childhood and primary education in one country and a person who spent the same years in another, even if both persons have parents who were born and grew up in the same place. How relevant, if at all, that is to college admission policies is an issue for each college to decide, subject to applicable federal and state laws.</p>

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<p>^ I was born in China but came to the US when I was 3 or 4. I am every bit as much American as I am Chinese. They need some directions for these applications.</p>

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<p>I wonder why the form provides a country-of-origin space for Asians and Hispanics/Latinos, but not for Blacks and Whites. Does anyone know?</p>

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<p>
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I wonder why the form provides a country-of-origin space for Asians and Hispanics/Latinos, but not for Blacks and Whites.

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<p>I've read--without remembering where to cite it for you--that some colleges are especially concerned to make sure that Mexican-American and Puerto Rican applicants are adequately represented among the Hispanic admitted students at their colleges. I don't know that this is meant to draw a distinction between those students and other Latin Americans, or between those students and Spaniards, or between those students and many-generations-American students of Spanish colonial descent, but that does seem to be a separately tracked subcategory at some colleges. (I looked for one Web statement from one college I had seen on the issue, and that appears to have been removed from that college's website recently.) </p>

<p>A country of origin space for an Asian or an Asian-American would distinguish between a person from, say, China and a person from Laos or Burma. In this regard, I'm even less aware of which colleges care about such a distinction, but I've heard of this issue being regarded in relation to the large Hmong refugee population in Minnesota.</p>

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<p>
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They need some directions for these applications.

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</p>

<p>This thread is an attempt to provide directions for what are, I agree, sometimes very confusing questions about distinctions that aren't fitting for all applicants. One possibility is asking the direct question of "How should I fill out an ethnic question like ____ ?" at a college information session. </p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/530012-fall-2008-events-where-students-can-meet-admission-officers.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/530012-fall-2008-events-where-students-can-meet-admission-officers.html&lt;/a> </p>

<p>Another possibility is simply leaving the question blank, which is always permitted for any applicant to any college. </p>

<p>A third possibility is to question a college directly by email about its own application form. I'm not sure how many colleges will continue to make such distinctions after this year, because next year the basic structure of the college forms will be constrained by federal regulations that come into effect next year. The regulations are linked to from one of the first two posts in this thread. </p>

<p>If it's a state university you are dealing with, you could also write to a state legislator to find out what the question is supposed to mean.</p>

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<p>Would it be okay to identify myself as a asian/african. My dad is asian and my mother is african born with mixed african/asian ancestry. I have papers from the Kenyan government that acknowledge my grandfather as an "African"</p>

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<p>Excuse the irrelevance but that's some interesting heritage kampalaca!</p>

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<p>In the situation described by kampalaca above, there is a basis for checking both the "African American" and "Asian" categories on an ethnic questionnaire.</p>

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<p>I did a library search recently for interesting books about the general topic of this thread, and I found one </p>

<p>Amazon.com:</a> Strange Fruit: Why Both Sides are Wrong in the Race Debate: Kenan Malik: Books </p>

<p>that looks very interesting. I haven't had time to read it yet since I got it from the library, but I'll surely learn something from it and would be glad to discuss it here.</p>

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<p>I don't understand AA. Why do people of different races get benefits or get admitted more easily when compared to others. I know everyone should have an equal and FAIR opportunity, but they way colleges admit students because they are of a certain race is wrong. I believe colleges look at the family's income rather than race. Say an Asian and Hispanic live in the same neighborhoods and both their family's make the same amount. Say the Hispanic student has a less impressive application. Over 90% of the time the Hispanic student is admitted over the Asian. Why is that? Don't tell me this inst true, because it is. A family's income is the best way to determine the type of resources the student has access to; not race.</p>

<p>Sorry if i offended anyone.</p>

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<p>I agree, but this is in the wrong forum and i think theres a thread on it already.</p>

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<p>please search for other affirmative action threads before you post a new one.</p>

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<p>Some colleges will look more closely at ethnicity, for example Laotions & Cambodians are underrepresented. Colleges look for what is rare and unfortunately, highly academically prepared black and hispanic students are rare in our country. Many colleges do look at low income also, especially in regard to test scores as scores & income correlate so highly. But think on whether you would really want to trade your ethnicity and be african american for instance, with all that implies and not just on the day the admissions committee looks at your application. And again, think of all the advantaged kids who are getting a leg up because of rich parents, being a legacy, being an athlete in crew or lacrosse etc., getting non need merit money because of high scores and maybe direct some of your ire that way.</p>

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<p>Ok first of all, this is a ridiculous and hackneyed argument.</p>

<p>Second, would you want to go to a college that was 100% Asian? 100% white? Colleges like diversity. </p>

<p>Third. Get over it</p>

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<p>
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Second, would you want to go to a college that was 100% Asian? 100% white? Colleges like diversity.

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<p>Would a school that is 40-50% Asian not be diverse to you?</p>

<p>What about a school that is 80-90% white?</p>

<p>The problem w/ the "diversity" argument is that it is almost meaningless.</p>

<p>Ad officers at Ivies "justify" admitting a disproportionate % of black students from Africa based on "diversity" (i.e. - being culturally different from "African-Americans" - i.e. - black Americans who are descended from slaves).</p>

<p>But we all know this is BS to basically gloss over the fact that black immigrant students generally have higher test scores/GPAs.</p>

<p>On the other front, these schools do nothing to attract/recruit Asians w/ historically lower academic standing (Cambodians, Hmong, Laotians, etc.) since they rather have the Asian students w/ the top scores. Plus, many of the high performing Asian students are Asian-Americans who have parents who are professionals (doctors, professors, etc.) who live in
"white" suburbia and are culturally "white" (hence, terms such as "whitewashed", "banana", "twinkie", etc.).</p>

<p>So much for the "diversity" argument.</p>

<p>Along w/ this is the fact that schools like USC, Vandy, etc. have actively recruited Jewish students (why actively recruit Jews? Aren't they just supposed to be "white"), despite having Jewish student bodies already greater than that (%-wise) in the general US pop.</p>

<p>Hmmm, I wonder why that is? Could it be (once again) picking the group of students who would help the school keep up or raise the test scores/gpa stats for the student body?</p>

<p>Let's face it, affirmative action (AA) is a farce as it currently exists and the whole diversity argument is bogus.</p>

<p>Now, I do generally support AA (but not in its current form) - but schools should just be more honest about their practices.</p>

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<p>Well, I want to know which race gets the best "boost" from
affirmative action. Thank you. Just tell me one race, as opposed to "black, mexican, native american"</p>

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<p>I would say it depends on the applicants applying that year. Universities like to have a diverse student body...so what if, say, Harvard recieves a couple thousand extra application from native american students than they usually do, being a native american could actually work against you. While, if in the same year they didnt recieve as many applications from mexican students, they would be more likely to accept a mexican student.</p>