“Also, they will try to verify this change in race because I am assuming on all of your standardized testing you put down Asian. When they verify you, they WILL ask for some type of proof, which is usually in the form of tribal registry which I think you don’t have.”
It was smart of you, @GoBears2023 to include your tribal papers. That nipped any questions in the bud and affirmed your credibility. Colleges like UChicago Harvard, Columbia, Brown, CMU, etc. aren’t going to pick up the phone and ask for proof or explanations, unless the applicant is extremely impressive in every other way. Red flag? Move on to the next application…
Are you implying that I am a red flag applicant now @Groundwork2022? I am scared right now. Or are you just speaking just towards @GoBears2023. As it seems, a lot of people seem to be thinking I won’t end up at a T30 either way. But that is fine I guess
Personally I think that the thread is a bit too focused on the Pacific Islander versus Asian issue. I know a few people from Hawaii. I am not sure that they know which they are, and I certainly don’t know. I doubt that they care. OP has been honest with the schools.
To me the issue on this thread is that OP does not have any safeties. I think that this should be fixed ASAP.
Of course some people with no safeties get into match schools with a financial package that makes them affordable. A few don’t and end up either taking a gap year or attending community college.
Yes, calling colleges to discuss your race could raise red flag. It depends on the college and the personality of the AO. But consider it from the point of view of the college who is rejecting 15-18 qualified applicants for every one they have space to accept.
All is not lost, though. You really need to figure out match and safeties. Turn your fear into motivation.
@Groundwork2022 in your previous post you mentioned T20s – Harvard and UChicago, for example. Would those be the type of colleges that would view this as a red flag. Also, I feel like no one has responded to the fact that the Admissions Office has accepted the change and personally emailed me that the file has been updated and therefore, how would that still be looked at as a negative impact
@Groundwork2022 I know, I thought that including my tribal papers would remove any potential questions about my race. As for OP, updating your race may draw red flags since before you said you are asian. Also, without any “proof”, this update could hurt you…
However, I think we should really shift on things that can help OP. As stated, you don’t have many safeties. Try checking out the ones others have suggested. I would also suggest maybe trying UW Madison and UMich if you haven’t done so already.
@Acortez122 I know that you didn’t put asian on the common app for RD. However, in the past, for the PSAT for example, you more than likely listed Asian as your race. I read a Quora story not too long ago about some student who tried to pass as hispanic because he was raised by a babysitter that taught him spanish and that his last name was kind of amibigious in terms of race. In the end, one of the colleges called him because he had listed “white” on the ACT and he ended up getting rescinded to everywhere he got in (Harvard, Stanford, etc.) In the end, he went to CC and worked his way into a state school. It’s just something that could happen and I just want you to be aware of that.
OP, there is zero reason to be scared if you apply to some safeties. You should understand, right now, that NO ONE has a good shot at getting into the schools you applied to, especially the sub-10% acceptance rate ones. Forget your race. Drop it. You need to apply to safeties, bottom line. There are still good schools you can apply to and get into to. If LACs aren’t your thing, apply to some OOS flagships that might also give you money. Look at the College Simply list I mentioned. You will have choices, but there is a good chance your choices will not be any colleges you have already applied to. I don’t think colleges are going to care that you changed your race to Pacific Islander and I don’t think you’re going to be rescinded because maybe your PSAT said you are Asian.
Here is what you have: good grades, decent test scores, good ECs. Possibly, you have a minor “hook” that might be of interest to some colleges, but will be of little interest to the majority of colleges you applied to. You are not understanding that without top everything else, your race/ethnicity is of little interest. They don’t look at race first when they read your app. They care most about grades and test scores. Really. So stop dwelling on DNA, because bottom line, what gets you in is something only admissions officers know.