<p>I am applying ED. I am Afghan (I plan to check the "asian" option of the ethnicity section for the common app but will elaborate in the additional info. section as per the app's suggestion). I am also Muslim, and speak Persian fluently.</p>
<p>I'm wondering if these will have any effect whatsoever, any help is appreciated.</p>
<p>regards.</p>
<p>^it will make you different and the admissions committee will consider you adding to diversity, but as admissionsgeek will point out, it won’t get you affirmative action and it won’t give a clear advantage like under-represented minorities receive.</p>
<p>ha concoll knows me so well.</p>
<p>i think it is important to know that diversity matters, but diversity does not equal affirmative action. affirmative action aims to provide an important adjustment to populations that have been historically wronged in the united states, and not all minority or ‘oppressed’ peoples.</p>
<p>diversity is what helps you stand out from the crowd, but merely having the credentials doesn’t mean you stand out amongst your minority group; dozens of afghani-americans or those of afghan descent apply each year and like the rest of the applicant the majority are denied. so merely being X category is insufficient. being impressive relative to your background (cultural, local, academic) is critical. and this is the important lesson whether it is for someone of a minority background or not - because admissions takes everything into consideration, so you do have to at one point see what is unique about you, but ask whether or not that is unique not merely across a localized population, but across broader subsegments.</p>
<p>thank you.</p>
<p>a more minor question: do you recommend marking myself as “asian” and elaborating (in the additional info. section) or simply elaborating (i.e. foregoing the ethnicity question)</p>
<p>thanks again for any help</p>
<p>there are so many things that “Asian” could signify so i’d say to simply elaborate in the extra information section</p>
<p>hshschoolgirl said it right. Make sure to elaborate on it on the application. It could really help. Asians are not under-represented in general, but afgans may very well be.</p>
<p>thanks for the help guys.</p>
<p>just to get this straight, you’re saying to ignore the “ethnicity” question in the “demographics” section (i.e. leave it completely blank) and note my ethnicity solely in the additional information area?</p>
<p>regards.</p>