<p>I’ve heard that being of Asian descent gives the applicant a disadvantage. Is this true? I’m East Indian and I’ve dreamed of becoming a doctor since I was a child, how can I set myself apart from the hundreds of other “asian doctor hopefuls” applying this year? Should I just withhold that particular detail about myself from the school I am applying to? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>search other threads, this question’s been asked waaaaaaaay to many times.</p>
<p>If your last name is obviously Indian, there’s not much you can do short of legally changing your name. If it’s a more generic last name, you might as well leave the race box unchecked. It can’t hurt.</p>
<p>If your name is like Chiang Tze Wong…don’t even try.</p>
<p>Either way, they are going to know so I don’t think it really matters…</p>
<p>^Not necessarily true.</p>
<p>Lots of whites and others who are against AA leave the box unchecked.</p>
<p>I would just leave it blank.</p>
<p>It’s not a required box so they can’t discriminate against you for leaving it blank.</p>
<p>“I’ve heard that being of Asian descent gives the applicant a disadvantage. Is this true?”</p>
<p>According to research by Espenshade and Chung, being Asian is worth the equivalent of (those are the keywords) a fifty point deduction on your SAT scores. Despite the best efforts of naysayers, E&C’s research is not flawed, biased garbage. On the contrary, it is often cited in affirmative action research without any caveats.</p>
<p>“I’m East Indian and I’ve dreamed of becoming a doctor since I was a child, how can I set myself apart from the hundreds of other “asian doctor hopefuls” applying this year?”</p>
<p>That’s tough. Based on what you’ve written, it looks like you are passionate about being a doctor. Thanks to modern affirmative action, it becomes <em>that</em> much harder for you to convey your passion because you’ve been stereotyped as “yet another Asian who wants to be a doctor.”</p>
<p>“Should I just withhold that particular detail about myself from the school I am applying to?”</p>
<p>Not necessarily. Write two essays, one where you try your best to convey your desire and goal and another where you withhold it. See which one is better.</p>
<p>Best of luck.</p>