Asian Disadvantage

Hunt
Mon, 04 Aug 2014 14:56:13 +0000

My brother selected Asian on his college apps and was waitlisted to MIT, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, and Dartmouth while others in his grade who were Hispanic were accepted and they did not have as high standardized test scores, gpa, rigorous classes, extracurricular activities, or leadership positions.

It’s certainly true that members of underrepresented minorities get an advantage in admission to highly selective schools. This is something that affects both Asian and white students–but remember that this is not the same as bias against Asian (or white students), any more than athletic recruitment is based on bias against people who can’t play sports well.

Additional note: if the college is really biased against Asians, it’s not too likely that it will help you to leave your ethnic identification off your applications–for most Asian students, your name will make it obvious.