On the Common App there’s definitely a difference, because there was a box specifically for if you were born in Africa, i think it’s because MOST(not all, i know u of michigan is public, but the majority are private) common app schools are private and they practice affirmative action and also care about diversity of student population so for me I feel like in terms of them knowing who I am, there is a huge difference between being born in Africa and being born in America as an african american, when I indicate it on the app.
but for public schools like UC’s and cal states, especially cal states they can’t practice affirmative action and beyond that could probably care less about the diversity of their school. by care less i mean they don’t have the funds to have admissions officer waste time at looking at different ethnic backgrounds. That’s one of the reasons why Cal States don’t have personal statements; it’s because cal states don’t get the research based funding UC’s get to hire admissions staff to read essays. haha interesting fact, huh?
But although UC’s don’t practice AA, they allow you to write in your essay things that you had to overcome, etc… which kind of opens the door for them knowing your race and taking that into account. So for example, in my 1st essay for my UC personal statement i wrote about how being born in Ethiopia, Africa but being raised in the States has molded me into who I am and the vales I hold.
-i just got way off topic.
Thanks guys!