Does being Hispanic have any impact at all?

UM32194
Sat, 22 Oct 2011 10:09:43 +0000

Hi guys, first post here on this particular board. Anyway, my question is whether being Hispanic/Latino(a) really has any significant impact in college admissions. I’ve been going through the stressful process of applying to colleges. I got a decent score on the ACT (33) and have okay but not great GPA (3.7). I was born in Bolivia and have spent half of my life there. My dad is an uneducated, unemployed Bolivian-Native American (Quechua). My mom is just a typical white American, but our family income is very very low. I’ve had people at school and family members and such tell me my unique background the Hispanic factor should give me a leg up when I’m applying to colleges, but I don’t know what to think about that. In many states it is illegal for colleges to use race as a factor in admissions, like in my home state of Michigan. I applied EA to UM and am confident I can get in. I’m going to be applying to more selective schools regular decision, and am wondering if my background and being hispanic will make them look at my app any different than if I were 100% white. I’ve been treating it as if it will make no difference, but I still would like some clarification.
Thanks! :)