crimsonchin68

i think you are from where you are from and that's that. if you are from africa you are from africa. if you are from somewhere else and are black, you are black. that's why they put black/african american. the mexican kid with a mexican mom and caucasian dad should check mexican and caucasian. on the app. it says "check all that apply" so check all that apply and be done with it. but if your name is like wikus van demerwer and you're white and south african then you probably shouldn't check the box. if you are algerian or egyptian and your name is mahmoud amadinajad then i would say you're african. as long as you're not a descendant of colonizers from europe i say you're african regardless of color.

BeautifulNerd219

That's true ^ ^ ^

crimsonchin68

i also noticed a post about her "name being of african descent" well that's not a very good indicator. i know black kids who have names like chris or keith with ordinary last names, but they're still black. a name doesn't really mean anything and i don't think they'll look at you as black unless you check the black/ african american box. there is really no reason for them to think you are black but checked the "other" box unless you are applying to a college with vveerrrrrryyyyy stupid admissions officers. the worst part is this girl probably thinks it will work.

sorghum

Why don't YOU tick "other" then you'll always know AA didn't get you in anywhere?

BeautifulNerd219

^^^ Lol b/c my college app gets reviewed by the program I went to over the summer. They suggest changes, and this is an amazing program; I'm not stubborn enough not to listen. I'm not ashamed of my race either, and I could care less what they think I checked (at the end of the day, no matter what you check, they'll play the race card).

BeautifulNerd219

Haha @crimsonchin. I just smile and nod in class. I just can't wait until we ALL find out what really played out. There will be a lot of angry IB kids this year, that's all I'm gonna say.

Millancad

I had always planned to do that until recently. I leave my race off of everything, so I just figured I would for colleges too. Then I realized I only left race off because it was race, not because I thought AA was unfair (which I do). Because if I didn't want advantages based on things I can't control (parents, race, money, etc.), I wouldn't be so happy that I'm legacy at an Ivy.

aglages

"Why don't YOU tick "other" then you'll always know AA didn't get you in anywhere?"

Because when all is said and done.......AA may be an admissions advantage that this student wants to use. Although she is willing to use whatever advantage that may result from AA, it seems as though she doesn't want anyone to think that it may have actually helped her.

BRJ-CT

I don't think anyone should deny their race. If you don't check, then don't interview either (are you going to wear a mask?) don't have an ethnic sounding name, live in an area than is high URM's (they look at that too), belong to any clubs/church groups that have a leaning that way, the list goes on. Doesn't it sound silly?
Be who you are, if colleges want you a little more for that reason, they wouldn't choose a white student to take your place, anymore than they would choose someone from Mass. if they wanted west coast.

aglages

"they would choose someone from Mass. if they wanted west coast."
So being from the west coast could be as advantageous as being an URM?

BRJ-CT

Yes it can...I know a couple of students that were offered (with the same stats) different offers from the same school because one was geographically wanted. At one east coast LAC a white male student was offered a large scholarship if he "would come East" from CA when students with his stats from the same school were offered less because they came from the area. Some colleges make it known if you apply from outside of an area, you have an extra checkmark. Now if you are a URM and geographically in that realm, maybe it matters, maybe it doesn't, depends on what the school wants.
I know my sisters are "courted" by schools that would have to fly too, but for now, don't want to be that far away.

sorghum

But, you expect the race card to favor you, right? Not those merely 'African' guys.

Millancad

BRJ-CT: If being from the West means being from CA, it's more of a disadvantage than anything. CA is overrepresented, so it's harder, not easier to get in. Being from a state like Montana, West Virginia, Utah, any state that sends few people to OOS or Top 20 schools is an advantage.
And if it's a public school, OOS is a disadvantage on the whole. Even top schools give a little boost to local (note that I didn't say in-state) students to boost town and gown relations. Outside of causation, local students will have a higher acceptance rate at almost any school because they're more likely to be the children of alumni and staff.

nil desperandum

To the person who asked us to tick other, why don't people pretend they are not legacies?

BRJ-CT

BRJ-CT: If being from the West means being from CA, it's more of a disadvantage than anything. CA is overrepresented, so it's harder, not easier to get in. Being from a state like Montana, West Virginia, Utah, any state that sends few people to OOS or Top 20 schools is an advantage"

I actually did mean CA, the student was from there and going to NJ. The must not have had many from CA at their school. I know from my high school, the further students went (non-athletes) the more money they seemed to get. I agree though, CA is not the best example. It of course isn't a given in any situation. One smart guy from my highschool got into Yale and not Stanford which he thought was a better bet being from Yale's neighborhood.
I also agree, most students would not lie and say they didn't have a legacy in the family, an influential friend, or sibling.
I think my GC sent a photo of me winning a not so common,competition, so not checking a box wouldn't have worked or any interviews or visits I made. Just think it's silly as I said.