Are Central Americans an URM? Forum

[christinalsat]

Personally, I would answer yes, but it seems law school thinks otherwise. Can anyone else confirm?

I was born in Guatemala. Mom is Guatemalan, father is American. No college education for my mom, my dad has his Master's. Nonetheless, I grew up in a very poor rural town in upstate NY and neither of my parents make a lot of money. (I guess my dad could've, but money never interested him).

Does that make me a URM?

[dakatz]

The schools will most likely give you a small boost, seeing as your heritage can certainly increase their diversity. However, Central Americans aren't as proportionally unrepresented as Mexican, Puerto Rican, or African American students. Thus, the boost you get won't be too substantial, but it will most likely still exist.

[newyorker88]

No central americans aren't URMS. URMS are only African Americans, Native Americans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans.You might get a small diversity boost though.

[christinalsat]

That seems like a consensus. Well, if I somehow manage to get into a t14 at least I can smack down anyone who suggests I'm only there because I'm brown. Right now I'm scoring in the 160s, so that's a big "if."

[J.Bonilla]

This is interesting. I'm also from Central America (El Salvador) and hoped that it could give me a diversity or URM boost. I wonder if my experience with Civil War and having a poor rural Central American background would benefit me in any way.