<p>According to some of the third party online resources I’ve used, Oberlin College considers geographical residence and race/ethnicity. Being that I am from New Jersey and am of Asian- Indian descent, are my admission chances decreased or increased?</p>
<p>I know that Oberlin is big on diversity, but Asian students don’t exactly need affirmative action given their large presence in colleges nationally. However, specifically in liberal arts school, it is my belief that they are few and far between. Additionally, I doubt there are an astounding number of applicants from New Jersey. </p>
<p>All my assumptions aside, does anyone have any real statistics to substantiate a somewhat accurate guess as to my chances? </p>
<p>If you’ve done your research and as a result you have a sincere interest in attending Oberlin, then you should by all means apply there. If you do not have such well-founded interest, then perhaps you shouldn’t.</p>
<p>Your interest for Oberlin is on your side. Their interest in you, in turn, will, IMO, be based mostly on you, and whether they perceive there is a strong match based on the contents of your application. IMO the weight they give to these particular factors will be at best be a small part of their comprehensive review, in your case.</p>
<p>FWIW, from what I could tell, New Jersey is not underrepresented at all at Oberlin, far from it. Asians are not highly overrepresented there, nor are they notably absent.</p>
<p>Suggest worry more about whether you want to go there, and how you fit.</p>
<p>Being from an overrepresented area will disadvantage you slightly, but being an Asian will not, as Asians aren’t nearly as overrepresented at liberal arts colleges as top universities. </p>
<p>I definitely have a substantial interest in the college. Now that I’ve already worried about much more important factors such as course selection, academic achievements, sports, extracurriculars, SAT scores, college essays and interviews; I am starting to pay closer attention to the finer details of my application. I know it may seem unethical to make a decision based on geographical residency and ethnicity, but in order to create a diverse class of scholars, the college must take certain steps to ensure that these attributes are accounted for. So, in truth, I am not trying to gain an “upper-hand” over other applicants by hoping these aspects shine above all others. Rather, I am just genuinely interested in how such characteristics affect my admissions decision. If anything, this post is truly just the manifestation of my interest in Oberlin. </p>
<p>Thanks for all of the replies and suggestions.</p>