Should I List White & Hispanic on Common App?

[entomom]

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I’m beginning the application process this summer, and I am still unsure if I should list both Hispanic and white. Doing so would be the most honest choice; I’m 25% Puerto Rican and 75% Italian. I do look a bit Hispanic, however my last name is very Italian sounding (DeBella).
I’m really leaning towards honesty, but being 1/4th Hispanic does qualify me to put only Hispanic down, which is tempting considering the benefits of full URM status.

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<p>Please read post #1 of the Definition sticky thread at the top of this forum. It tells how Hispanic is defined for college admissions (as opposed to scholarship and other programs which often use % Hispanic) and the difference between ethnicity (Hispanic) and race (white, etc.).</p>

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If someone asks my ethnicity, I’ll say Puerto Rican before I mention Italian.
So, my real question is: I’m applying to selective colleges, so how much of a benefit is listing ONLY Hispanic opposed to listing both Hispanic & Caucasian? Does it make an impact at all?

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<p>Hispanic, not PR, is an ethnicity. PR is a country of origin. When you mark Hispanic on the CA, you will be given choices for which country. Then, you can choose whether or not to mark your race(s) in a separate question. The fact that one is PR and white will be no surprise to any adcom, as (not even considering your Italian background) the vast majority of PRs are white :</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html[/url]”>https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2075.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Please read the two threads linked to in post #2 here for how applicants are evaluated within the Hispanic pool:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/1311583-high-income-hispanics.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hispanic-students/1311583-high-income-hispanics.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;