<p>I might come across as naive, maybe even plain ignorant. But it’s better to ask than remain clueless about something. Why are asians so ‘scared’ of specifying their ethnicity in the common app? Why are we at a ‘disadvantage’? If anything, we should be at an advantage due to our strong high school system (I’m not talking about the whole of Asia).</p>
<p>tl;dr Why should I not identify myself as an Asian Indian due to some so-called disadvantages? What are these disadvantages?</p>
<p>Extra: Applying to the Ivys and UIUC, UCB, UCLA, GTech and MIT.</p>
<p>Many very qualified Asians candidates apply so you are being compared to them. When you compete against kids winning national and international awards in many subjects, it’s very hard to seem great. If you don’t identify as Asian colleges probably will assume you are a race that would be at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>Even if a Korean leaves ethnicity as undecided for example, by his name you can still realize that he’s asian. It’s not as if college adcoms are stupid.</p>
<p>Tbh, that seems very generic. Correct me if I am wrong, but according to you I am at a disadvantage in both ways? If I identify as Asian, I am risking comparison to a high achieving student pool and if I don’t then I risk being considered as part of a disadvantaged race?
If that is the case, I will surely go with option 1, i.e., Identifying myself.</p>
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<p>Sorry, what?</p>
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Of course rokr32. Most people have generic names. But a few others have names that cannot be identified to a particular nationality. I don’t know why, but US Federal laws require me to identify as an Asian rather than a Caucasian (India). India in itself is a very diverse country with two distinct sub-races. I could use the same concept and say that the adcoms can guess my nationality using my permanent/mailing address. That would be just as stupid.</p>
<p>It’s because India is in Asia…
Affirmative action was a policy put in place by the gov to make sure colleges didn’t discriminate against Native Americans, Hispanics, African Americans, and women.
Since the US population of Asians is Under 5% and most colleges have Asian populations of over 10% Asians are at a disadvantage in that they are Over Represented.</p>
<em>facepalm</em> That doesn’t mean Indians have Asian ethnicity. Without being rude, I must say that you don’t properly know the difference between ethnicity and geographical classification. The <em>most</em> significant difference being our face structure and eyes.</p>
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That makes a lot of sense! Thanks! Though now I am in a dilemma… If I don’t identify US Colleges will think I am from a disadvantaged race. If I do, then I will have to compete with a more competitive pool. :S</p>
<p>I do know the difference I was just stating that is why the US government considers all people from India Asian (Unless of course you aren’t Indian are you just live in India or was born in India). A lot of people are lumped into Asian that you wouldn’t say look Asian but are defined Asian by the government. Middle Easterners aren’t white but get lumped into White/Caucasian. </p>
<p>It really will only hurt you at top schools and if you want to be an engineer. A lot of Asians go into the math/science fields.</p>
<p>Tizil, when people use the word “disadvantaged”, it can mean two different things: 1)You’re “disadvantaged” in college admissions because the percentage of your race is higher in the educational institution than in the population as a whole, in which case, in the interest of maintaining ethnic diversity, colleges may favorably admit those of a less represented race; 2)You’re from a race that overall has lower socioeconomic status and is underrepresented in higher education, hence you’re “disadvantaged”. </p>
<p>And this affirmative action only applies if you’re a domestic student, not an international student applying from India, so it has nothing to do with “strong educational system”.</p>
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<p>The whole application is looked at holistically at the top schools, and race is merely something that helps the admission office understand the environment you came from, just like they use information about your high school, geographic location, parent education, and so on. Because every applicant would want to maximum his/her chances, it’s understandable that many want to avoid putting down something that people suspect may put them at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>Stupid question, but for those who’ve already gone through the admissions process and who aren’t African American, Hispanic, Native American, etc., did you put your race down?</p>
<p>And to those who are applying now, are you going to put your race down?</p>
<p>(sighs) But I guess it doesn’t matter either way for me because my last name gives it away…(grumblegrumble)</p>
<p>I left that part blank, even my last name gives the way. But if youre African American, Hispanic, Native American, DO PUT THAT DOWN because they are considered recruited minority group. It will only help you.</p>