Race in a holistically considered application

Ircadem · 05-26-2012, 07:21 PM

I'm new to this site, and I'm sure this question has been asked millions of times before, but bear with me here. I was wondering whether or not race is generally considered holistically - alongside the other specifics and dimensions of the application.

For example, I am a Filipino-American (which I hear falls, on a mostly school-by-school or geographic basis, outside URM classification - correct me if this is "wrong") high school junior wishing to study mathematics as an undergraduate. Ideally, graduate school will follow.

Now, I'm not going to include in this post grades, test scores, extra-curriculars, etc., because I'm not begging for your advice so that I can manufacture that perfect application for that perfect school whose rejection of me will certainly render me physically incapable of living on...

So, in my case, is my being Filipino likely going to be weighed within the context of my wanting to study mathematics, my grades, my test scores, my extra-curriculars, etc.? I can provide information about my grades, test scores, extra-curriculars, etc. if they help concretize things for better answers or clarify the direction of my question. I just didn't want to make this one of those *will I get into such-and-such an elite school with these hopefully-tailor-made-for-getting-into-elite-schools type things that I've done* questions, because that's not what I'm asking here.

Pancaked · 05-26-2012, 07:28 PM

Being Filipino-American, your ethnicity is likely to be irrelevant to your application at most schools. If you're not an ethnicity that's over/underrepresented, it doesn't change your application.

On some applications you may just be blocked into "Asian" which are actually overrepresented at some schools.

Erin's Dad · 05-26-2012, 08:48 PM

Quote:

is my being Filipino likely going to be weighed within the context of my wanting to study mathematics, my grades, my test scores, my extra-curriculars, etc.?

At most schools what you want to major in is irrelevant. For the rest of the items listed, look at the Common Data Set of the schools in which you are interested, section C7, to see how much weight is applied to each.

Ircadem · 05-26-2012, 10:23 PM

@Erin's Dad - I think you misunderstand, and I was maybe somewhat unclear, so let me clarify: what I mean by asking if race is "weighed within the context" of the larger application is whether race, or I guess more directly, the status of minority, and the other dimensions of the application cooperatively affect the "assessment" of the application as a whole. I was not asking about the literal sense of weight in which I suppose you took it to mean.

T26E4 · 05-26-2012, 10:38 PM

Depending on the type of school you're applying to, your ethnicity is just part of your story -- to give some context. For some people, it's central to their story. For others, it factors little into how the student presents himself/herself.

There's no fast and hard answer. You can only tell your story as best you can. Good luck.

ucbalumnus · 05-26-2012, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erin's Dad

At most schools what you want to major in is irrelevant.

Actually, major (or at least division, e.g. arts and science versus engineering) is likely relevant to freshman admission to most four year schools. For example, the 23 California State Universities admit freshman by major.

Erin's Dad · 05-27-2012, 07:33 AM

^ UCBA, I almost put with the exception of CA public schools. I don't know of any other schools that have impacted majors off the top of my head. MOST schools do not care what major you are going to take (think LACs and directional Us).

OP, Google the Common Data Set for your schools, section C7, to see if ethnicity is even considered in admissions. At most schools I don't think it is.

ARobins · 07-01-2012, 09:13 PM

What if you left the race box blank and wrote a compelling essay on the effects of your African descendency? Because technically everyone is a descendent of Africans...

T26E4 · 07-01-2012, 09:50 PM

"What if you left the race box blank and wrote a compelling essay on the effects of your African descendency? Because technically everyone is a descendent of Africans... "

You'd be ignored as this is a trite and oft-cited line of logic. If you want to write your "compelling" essay on something as unoriginal as this, go for it.

entomom · 07-01-2012, 09:58 PM

Please direct what ifs to the Race FAQ sticky thread at the top of this forum.

[Additional moderator edit:] The URL for the current version is

"Race" in College Admission FAQ & Discussion 10

as of the 2012-2013 admission season.