<p>To be honest though, I think that being Asian or not doesn’t matter TOO much. Like you should have gotten in if your stats were good enough. It could be a deciding factor ONLY if you’re like REALLY sitting on the fence and they don’t know what to do, but it’s doubtful that they exempt you from consideration or raise the standards super high just because of your ethnicity.</p>
<p>In fact, some privates do a blackout system where they just black out the candidate’s name and race and then consider their materials from there. After they’ve decided who is accepted, then they adjust here and there according to other stuff like financial status, URM and race.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the replies guys. After a bit of thinking, I’ve decided that I will most likely check my race as Asian, because I feel that I’m nowhere close to being like a stereotypical Asian kid who’s a math and science wizard (although I am a violinist/pianist :D). Plus, I bet that the “unknown” race pool will be full of Asians anyway, so it won’t make much of a difference.</p>
<p>Hunt, sorry, I edited because of the length. I agree, but the idea is that kids who do something with a skill, talent or interest will often get farther than kids who just say, I play the harmonica. “Standing out” has to fit into the holistic thing. Littlepenguin has to meet all the basic expectations (more than stats) and then the unique things are icing. He plays harmonica and plays in a jug band or makes a few dollars on the street or plays at nursing homes. Or, something. Also, the solitary pursuits don’t always match the college’s need for kids who will be active outside the classroom. You want adcoms to envision you thriving there- academically AND in terms of campus engagement.</p>
<p>My maiden name is very weird… and for 42 years, I have been asked if its asian… and actually, I can remember going to China Town (nyc) with my dad back in the early 80’s and there was a chinese gentleman who owned a fish market… he and my dad would joke and say that they were cousins… last names almost identical, except for letter off! His last name was Wopp.</p>
<p>In the 90’s, I worked @ Yale New Haven Hospital… and there was a OBGYN resident who was black… .but her last name was Cheung.she had caramel skin with strong asian features… she was mixed and hailed from Jamaica… apparently there is a big asian population there! </p>
<p>I say all this to say, they shouldn’t assume… b/c they might assume that my maiden name is asian…but I check off black(though I am a mutt)</p>
<p>Stressedout- Only in California public universities is it illegal to consider race in admissions. For the private schools, including Ivies, they can do exactly what they want to build a balanced class. Even the University of Michigan won the right to consider ethnicity in admissions after years of legal battles.</p>
<p>@fauve I’m saying it’s illegal if you don’t report your race (i.e. if you don’t report your race and your last name is Chi, they can’t consider race no matter what the name sounds like)</p>
<p>Sorry, I disagree. Colleges clearly state they evaluate an application holistically. If they absorb information from sections other than the race check-off box, such as names of parents, birthplaces, and languages spoken they can and do consider those factors.</p>
<p>They may not use the information to put that applicant in the overall statistics of Asian, but they will not magically wipe off the information in imagining who the student is. </p>
<p>Where do you find this legal statute you are so sure of?</p>
<p>I’m checking off the box anyway, because my birthplace/parents birthplace/colleges clearly indicate that I’m Asian. But knowing I have slightly non-Asian ECs makes me feel better :3</p>
<p>15 minutes per app, including reading, writing comments and rating. The goal is to find mature, focused kids who’ve had the right academic experiences and done well, have the right depth and breadth of interests and activities, who can fit and thrive at that college, however it sees itself. And, can write a decent Why Us? and essays. And, are backed up by their LoRs. That’s how “holistic” works. You get a sense of who this kid is, from multiple pockets of info, multiple angles. If you have a spare minute, it’s not spent worring abut why some seemingly Asian kid didn’t check the box. </p>
<p>Only the best apps get to the final table. If Harvard were suddenly inundated with 80% Asian candidates, your app would still have to show you as the right mix of challenges, strengths, interests and accomplishments- the right fit. Or you won’t get through the review rounds, won’t get to final table. Worry about that.</p>
<p>On the CA, Native American asks for a tribal “enrollment” number, btw. And, there is an expectation of some association with the culture. Not always, but the states with the highest numbers of NA’s are the most diligent about this, so it’s not abused. Just sayin’.</p>