Click here to go to the NEW College Discussion Forum

Whenever I post on other boards about the Under-Represented Minority status subject, I always get a whopping number of replies telling me basically "you'll get in anywhere with that!" I figure I'd come here to get a more involved response on the subject.

To start, I am Native American. I am of the Choctaw tribe with a 1/128 blood quantum. Granted, the blood is small, yet it is still legally accepted as Native American throughout the Choctaw tribes, and I even have the card as proof. But I don't even look Native American of any tribe. I have blonde hair, bluish eyes, and I would be rather white if I didn't spend so much time out in the sun running track/cross-country all year.

When asked, people go so far as to tell me Dartmouth, because Dartmouth loves Native Americans (and I've checked, they really do). Except there is no way I am Ivy League material. I have a 1340 SAT (retaking in October), 680 SAT II writing (3 more coming, or retake?), and a 28 ACT (retaking in a week). But say even I boost my test scores, which will likely happen. Say I get a 30 ACT because this time I actually finished, and I raise my SAT to 1390 because this test was unusually easy, I am still behind all Ivy League Material. And even though I have only averaged 3 B's for the yearly averages (more if you look at semesters) so far in 3 years of high school, I am still just outside the top 10% at my school. I am more like 13%.

So, my concern is not with Dartmouth specifically -- though that would be nice! -- the issue is more of how far one can go with a minority status, and, in my case, a Native American status. Some people tend to exaggerate chances, exaggerate the significance of a minority status. I certainly don't look like a minority. So are colleges going for people who look like they'd add diversity, or are the going for numbers in minorities enrolled so it will look good on paper? Would they go so far as to accept a student below the school averages because of a super-small minority status?

Thanks guys...

By Interesteddad (Interesteddad) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 02:59 pm: Edit

They don't care what you look like or whether you would add any true diversity to the campus, they only care about percentage number reported on their Common Data Set statistics.

They would absolutely "go so far as to accept a student below the school averages because of a super-small minority status". They do it every day, at every college and university in America.

Obviously, there are no guarantees. But, in general, they are so hot to trot for "native americans", that with a tribal affiliation, you would have a very good chance at virtually any college or university and a stone-cold lock for many of them. You would be prize catch, probably worthy of a round of beers for the admissions officers.

You are perfect example of what many people dislike about the hypocrisy of the current affirmative action policies. But, the beef is with the admissions policies, not you.

It's GREAT for you and you should ride that horse for all it's worth. Good luck!

PS: Now having said that.... Picking colleges by their ranking in US News report is a big mistake. You need to be honest about what you like and dislike and match colleges to your personality and an assessment of your ability to, and interest in, doing the work.

Getting in over your head at some of these schools can turn what is supposed to be the happiest four years of your life into a very miserable experience. So accept your own personal responsibility and choose YOUR college for YOUR reasons.

By Justplayin104 (Justplayin104) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 05:10 pm: Edit

So, then, let's take it a step farther...

It is then understood that colleges love Under-Represented Minorities, and especially Native Americans. They accept students who are a little below the college averages in order to gain "diversity," at least statistically.

Then if universities want the students so badly, does that mean that URM's can "steal" money from other students? Does it mean that, say, Boston College (or any other competitive college/university) would dish out bigger grants and scholarship money to Native Americans or Pacific Islanders, etc.?

It seems to me, then, that some students could go beyond acceptance and obtain enough grants/scholarships from the college to enroll merely by existing and obtaining fairly competitive test scores/grades! Did I miss something?

By ~the_Chosen~ (~the_Chosen~) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 09:06 pm: Edit

You'll make Stanford, Cornell, Dartmouth and all the other ivies, you'll have a good chance at Harvard also. Native Americans are VERY RARE, the most valuable URM's.

You're strong for a URM, increasing your test scores will only help you even more.

I know a Native American with a 25 ACT, did not take SAT, valedictorian, lived on a reservation.

He made Stanford and Cornell.

African Americans are similar also, they don't have to score as high to be in the ballpark for test scores.

By Thepiskickass (Thepiskickass) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 11:48 pm: Edit

Hispanics are in the same boat as African Americans there too. They don't exactly score very high either! I know this chick who was only in top 20%, 1100 SATs, a few e.c.s... Got into Brown. Brown's •••• though. But still. To back up my point. She did get in.