LSAC: Harm vs. benefit of not reporting race? Forum

[AlabamaIceman]

Please, no flaming/arguments about aff. action and such, I'm just curious what impacts (if any), positive or negative not reporting my race on my LSAC profile might have.

(I'm white by the way... with a Creek Indian great-grandmother on my mom's side, but still majority white)

[scammedhard]

I think that if you are White or don't report, you get less junk mail from law schools. Most schools mail/email more heavily to URMs so that they apply.

[AlabamaIceman]

I think that if you are White or don't report, you get less junk mail from law schools. Most schools mail/email more heavily to URMs so that they apply.

So in this context, the more unrepresented the race, the more interest (i.e. junk mail) from the schools?

I'm guessing that if that's the case, unreported just means a total opt-out/value of 0, and White (unless somehow White is somewhere under-represented) is just above 0 if not the same?

[03121202698008]

I don't think there is any difference.

[Leira7905]

I am mixed race... father: half black/half white... mother: white/NA

I have always hated responding to the race/ethnicity question because I don't neatly fit anywhere. Most people think I'm hispanic or Italian because I have darkish skin, dark hair, dark eyes, and am not clearly white, but not clearly anything else either. Because of this I didn't report race to LSAC. I have often omitted this portion on forms in the past. However, after much convincing from family members and friends, I did report race on my L.S. apps. I don't think not reporting race to LSAC or on the LSAT itself made any difference at all.

[09042014]

They will assume you are whiTTTe.

[AlabamaIceman]

They will assume you are whiTTTe.

I feel like I just got insulted somehow, although I'm not sure as I don't know the jargon.

[Verity]

Please, no flaming/arguments about aff. action and such, I'm just curious what impacts (if any), positive or negative not reporting my race on my LSAC profile might have.

(I'm white by the way... with a Creek Indian great-grandmother on my mom's side, but still majority white)

I'm not sure what standard of racial purity most schools demand when determining URM status, but you may be able to swing NA status and PROFIT. I heard something like if you're at least 1/14th NA, it counts.

[06162014123]

.

[09042014]

Why does every rando white person have an Indian princess great great grandmother.

If you identify as Indian, check the box. Otherwise don't.

[09042014]

They will assume you are whiTTTe.

This. I think only white people want to stick it to the man by refusing to report race.

Also Asians who are afraid of getting reverse affirmative action pwnd.

[AlabamaIceman]

Why does every rando white person have an Indian princess great great grandmother.

If you identify as Indian, check the box. Otherwise don't.

Why so hostile? I'm not some suburban pampered prince making up a story in order to sound cosmopolitan, I'm from an area where you can't drive for an hour without passing an American Indian reservation.

Settle down. I'm not trying to scam or "stick it to" anyone.

[dr123]

Don't check native american if you're not an enrolled tribal member

[krasivaya]

They will assume you are whiTTTe.

This. I think only white people want to stick it to the man by refusing to report race.

Also Asians who are afraid of getting reverse affirmative action pwnd.

Expand please?

*is now irrationally afraid of getting reverse pwnd*

[09042014]

They will assume you are whiTTTe.

This. I think only white people want to stick it to the man by refusing to report race.

Also Asians who are afraid of getting reverse affirmative action pwnd.

Expand please?

*is now irrationally afraid of getting reverse pwnd*

I've never heard about it for law school because Asians don't seem to over enroll in law school. But in undergrad, especially in Asia populated areas, some schools had a penalty for being Asian. When Cal stopped doing AA, their asian population exploded.

[mettasutta]

They will assume you are whiTTTe.

This. I think only white people want to stick it to the man by refusing to report race.

Also Asians who are afraid of getting reverse affirmative action pwnd.

Expand please?

*is now irrationally afraid of getting reverse pwnd*

Asians are hurt at the UG level in admissions (read: http://infoproc.blogspot.com/2005/06/as ... ative.html), but I have not come across any studies that this happens in LS admissions.

[krasivaya]

Crisis averted!

What's odd is I put Asian on my UG applications and didn't seem to have any issues, but I do live in Texas. Deciding between the White and Asian boxes is always so tricky D:

[whymeohgodno]

Crisis averted!

What's odd is I put Asian on my UG applications and didn't seem to have any issues, but I do live in Texas. Deciding between the White and Asian boxes is always so tricky D:

The negative effects are most noticeable at elite schools.

[krasivaya]

Crisis averted!

What's odd is I put Asian on my UG applications and didn't seem to have any issues, but I do live in Texas. Deciding between the White and Asian boxes is always so tricky D:

The negative effects are most noticeable at elite schools.

True, though I think the lack of affirmative action at UTexas had the same effect here as it did at Berkeley. And the top 10% rule. There's an insane amount of Asians here.

So much so that this page made it to a prominent place on our counseling website, it's hard not to laugh -

http://cmhc.utexas.edu/modelminority.html

[whymeohgodno]

Crisis averted!

What's odd is I put Asian on my UG applications and didn't seem to have any issues, but I do live in Texas. Deciding between the White and Asian boxes is always so tricky D:

The negative effects are most noticeable at elite schools.

True, though I think the lack of affirmative action at UTexas had the same effect here as it did at Berkeley. And the top 10% rule. There's an insane amount of Asians here.

So much so that this page made it to a prominent place on our counseling website, it's hard not to laugh -

http://cmhc.utexas.edu/modelminority.html

LOL

[BackToTheOldHouse]

Don't check native american if you're not an enrolled tribal member

Wrong.

[niederbomb]

Please, no flaming/arguments about aff. action and such, I'm just curious what impacts (if any), positive or negative not reporting my race on my LSAC profile might have.

(I'm white by the way... with a Creek Indian great-grandmother on my mom's side, but still majority white)

They'll just assume you are either Caucasian or a non-URM minority like Chinese because, otherwise, they think you would have reported your race to get a boost. Either way, I don't think it matters, so why bother?

[YaSvoboden]

Do not respond, it appears to help your LSAT results.

http://www.lsac.org/LSACResources/Resea ... -08-03.pdf

[Zabini]

I am mixed race... father: half black/half white... mother: white/NA

I have always hated responding to the race/ethnicity question because I don't neatly fit anywhere. Most people think I'm hispanic or Italian because I have darkish skin, dark hair, dark eyes, and am not clearly white, but not clearly anything else either. Because of this I didn't report race to LSAC. I have often omitted this portion on forms in the past. However, after much convincing from family members and friends, I did report race on my L.S. apps. I don't think not reporting race to LSAC or on the LSAT itself made any difference at all.

Also mixed race, although not quite as mixed as you

I remember that when I was younger, most forms that asked about race where of the "select one" variety, and I always felt very uncomfortable choosing just one. (My parents told me to pick "Black" whenever it was for a standardized test or something because it made the school look better if their black students performed well). But ever since I got into high school, it seems like all the forms that ask about race are of the "check all that apply" variety, which makes me happy and seems far better than just not reporting at all. So long as I'm given the chance to honor all of my heritage rather than forced to pick just one, I'm pretty happy.

[scammedhard]

Do not respond, it appears to help your LSAT results.

http://www.lsac.org/LSACResources/Resea ... -08-03.pdf

This is a correlation where there is no evidence of cause and effect.