DD is half Asian, half white. Is one better to declare for college applications?

[Anonymous]

I have an idea, OP.

Tell your child to pick Native American. Technically, they are Asians who walked over the land bridge from Asia a few thousand years ago.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it makes a difference either way at most schools now.

You won't get preferential treatment based on being white or Asian alone. Only exceptions I can think of would be certain overlooked LACs desperate for more Asians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our children are half asian and half white as well with a very western last name. Given the bias against asians in the admissions we select white.

BTW, I would guess that would be very difficult with an ethnic last name?

I had to laugh at your last sentence because African-Americans are branded for life/generations with 'white master' last names which are ethnically based. Think about that for a minute next time you think about your own personal bias. No snark, just fact.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're fine going either way. My thought was go Asian as colleges like minorities, but now I read about some colleges cutting back on Asians.

We're not talking Ivy league. These would be middle-tier schools.

Honestly, I would go with mixed race. I think would be more likely to give that more diversity points than just Asian. Although honestly, I don't think the Asian/White mix is something colleges would get particularly excited about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Asian for college. White for everything else in life.

How would choosing "Asian" be harmful for anything else in life?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just pick African American.

The entire human race originated in Africa and we are American. Seems logical to me.



I wish there were a box that said "I refuse to give in to racists that would ask this question."

Honest question, but just how black do you have to be to pick African American? Do colleges even try to confirm it? I ask because my kids are 10% sub-saharan African (according to 23 and me).

[Anonymous]

Pick African American

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just pick African American.

The entire human race originated in Africa and we are American. Seems logical to me.



I wish there were a box that said "I refuse to give in to racists that would ask this question."

Honest question, but just how black do you have to be to pick African American? Do colleges even try to confirm it? I ask because my kids are 10% sub-saharan African (according to 23 and me).

Sub-saharan African? You do know there is a difference between African and African-American, right? Since humanity evolved from Africa (scientifically proven), go ahead and check the box AA and watch whites and asians battle each other about who's blacker. Sigh, PP......

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is it somehow ok for all these posters to say to LIE on a college application form. If you are Asian say Asian, if you are mixed use mixed, how can you lie? As a white person, heck I will just check Hispanic or black as 2 percent of the 23andme came back as other. This is unreal that people are lying on college forms to game the admissions. This must be why trump is looking into changes.

It is unethical, but not really unreal. Colleges are stupidly allowing people to self report a piece of information that can have a significant positive impact on their application if they check a certain box. They do this without even attempting to verify that the applicant is being honest. This is about as dumb as letting students self report their SAT scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you be honest and select mixed, or all that that apply/other? Don't play some kind of game.

- mixed kid who got into an ivy

Don't be naive....the whole application process is a game.

I didn't play any games - honestly. It's a game because you *make* it a game. By now, don't you think that admissions panels can figure out which applications are trying to present a specific, partial glimpse of a picture. And figure which ones are presenting a more genuine and comprehensive picture of an applicant? Maybe you think they're stupid, and I'm sure that doesn't come across in a fluffy application, not even a little bit.

But hey, you want to play a game? Knock yourself out - just don't be surprised at the results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just pick African American.

The entire human race originated in Africa and we are American. Seems logical to me.



I wish there were a box that said "I refuse to give in to racists that would ask this question."

Honest question, but just how black do you have to be to pick African American? Do colleges even try to confirm it? I ask because my kids are 10% sub-saharan African (according to 23 and me).

Sub-saharan African? You do know there is a difference between African and African-American, right? Since humanity evolved from Africa (scientifically proven), go ahead and check the box AA and watch whites and asians battle each other about who's blacker. Sigh, PP......

Yes, but African-American is not a genetic group. If you are genetically black it shows as sub-saharan African, regardless of whether you are from South Carolina, Jamaica, or Ghana.

[Anonymous]

I believe it's optional to answer this question, so one option is to just ignore it. It would be interesting if everyone either didn't answer it or just checked other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you be honest and select mixed, or all that that apply/other? Don't play some kind of game.

- mixed kid who got into an ivy

Don't be naive....the whole application process is a game.

I didn't play any games - honestly. It's a game because you *make* it a game. By now, don't you think that admissions panels can figure out which applications are trying to present a specific, partial glimpse of a picture. And figure which ones are presenting a more genuine and comprehensive picture of an applicant? Maybe you think they're stupid, and I'm sure that doesn't come across in a fluffy application, not even a little bit.

But hey, you want to play a game? Knock yourself out - just don't be surprised at the results.

No, I really don't believe that admissions officers are really this capable of sussing out genuineness among all the hundreds of applications they have to review, despite what they claim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why don't you be honest and select mixed, or all that that apply/other? Don't play some kind of game.

- mixed kid who got into an ivy

Don't be naive....the whole application process is a game.

I didn't play any games - honestly. It's a game because you *make* it a game. By now, don't you think that admissions panels can figure out which applications are trying to present a specific, partial glimpse of a picture. And figure which ones are presenting a more genuine and comprehensive picture of an applicant? Maybe you think they're stupid, and I'm sure that doesn't come across in a fluffy application, not even a little bit.

But hey, you want to play a game? Knock yourself out - just don't be surprised at the results.

No, I really don't believe that admissions officers are really this capable of sussing out genuineness among all the hundreds of applications they have to review, despite what they claim.

I think everyone is picking up on the fact that what you present, is just a small slice of a deliberately painted portrait - Facebook, the internet, applications, etc. It's really not that hard to figure out who is presenting a concocted image of perfection and ideal these days. But suit yourself

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is it somehow ok for all these posters to say to LIE on a college application form. If you are Asian say Asian, if you are mixed use mixed, how can you lie? As a white person, heck I will just check Hispanic or black as 2 percent of the 23andme came back as other. This is unreal that people are lying on college forms to game the admissions. This must be why trump is looking into changes.

There are no 100% racially pure people in the world.....everybody is a mix of something. You check the box of the race you identify with. I have loads of friends who are at best 1/8 hispanic bur raise their children entirely as white with no identification with the hispanic community but happily check latino in the application process and I think it is very deceptive. It's like when Elizabeth Warren checks the Native American box because she is 1/32 Native American yet never lifted a finger to express that racial heritage. Colleges look the other way because there is no hard and fast standard and all they really care about is their URM stats, retention, grad rates, etc.