Hello all,
I am an Asian and I have repeatedly heard that Asians are discriminated against in the selection process. Should I “Prefer not to respond”? Will private high schools give less preference to someone who prefers not to respond?
If you have an Asian sounding surname, they will likely figure it out. There is also space on the application forms for parents name (maiden name) and where they went to college. So any of these can provide information.
So if you chose to leave the race question blank, they can only assume you have something to hide.
While its true that Asian students have a higher hurdle, trying to hide your race/ethnicity will only make things worse.
Asians are not discriminated against. There are a lot of asian applicants and the schools endeavor to keep their student bodies balanced so if you are part of a large pool, yes it may be a bit harder to get admitted. The schools want diverse student bodies. Period. An applicant with the same basic credentials from Las Vegas or Montana or Oklahoma will win over New England or New York all day long. New Englanders make up a huge percentage of applicants and white male New Englanders is considered to be the most difficult pool…no one would try to hide that they were from New England. If you are admitted to one of the schools you are applying to, you will find the same issues present when you apply to colleges only them you will be coming from a much more competitive pool of applicants academically–Andover, Choate etc. This is life.
While true, let’s also go with the obvious. In other threads you’ve asked about Andover, Exeter, Hotchkiss, and Lawrenceville, all of which require interviews. The interviewer will figure out you’re Asian the moment you walk in the door.