<p>^ “If you plan on claiming Native American Status on your colleger applications, better make sure that you’re recognized by the Federal Government and you’re tribe.”</p>
<p>When I checked Native American on my app, I didn’t know that there was such a strict definition for “Native American.” The Common App is pretty vague when it comes to ethnicity – it just says “check all that apply.” So, I wasn’t trying to be deceptive when one of the things I checked was Native American; I was just checking off one of the things that makes up part of my background. Actually, when you check the Native American option and it asks you for the date of enrollment, there is also an option you can put if you weren’t ever actually enrolled, which, to me, implies that enrollment isn’t necessary. I wish that, since Yale’s requirements are clearly different, they would have put something on their supplement saying so.</p>
<p>I completely agree that there should be some verification when an applicant claims minority status so that people can’t get away with cheating, but now I’m worried that when I get the verification form and I can’t say that I’m legally part of a tribe, they’re going to think I was trying to lie, when I really wasn’t. 
I guess I’ll have to wait till I get the form and see.</p>