Leaving the race question empty

Applying to College
1

Would leaving the race question empty on the common app hurt my chances of admission?

I’m Egyptian American and although I’m technically classified as White, I do not identify as White. I do not count as African American either. I would pick the Other option but unfortunately the Common App doesn’t offer that option. This led me to thinking about leaving that question blank but now I’m wondering if that will look shady or if it would hurt my chances of admission in any way?

2

You are free to do that, but, from a practical standpoint, you should assume that colleges that care about that will see you as whatever their least favorable category is.

3

There’s no advantage or disadvantage to say White – that’s the default setting. Nor will you be viewed any different if you leave it blank.