Family History - Sketchy to Answer or Not? Forum

[caisforlovers3]

Dilemma:

Percentage hispanic so I identified as hispanic/white (non chicano) in apps.

Then I come to the questions wanting to know educational background. I may qualify as URM, but I was not "disadvantaged" growing up. Both parents have graduate degrees. However, I don't want to be discounted for financial aid/scholarships because of my parent's educational level. I am not counted as a dependent on their tax returns and manage to scrape by at my current employment. Is it sketchy to not disclose their educational levels? I don't want to get flagged for misrepresentation, but I also don't want to give the impression that just because they have graduate degrees they can bankroll my legal education.

Any help/tips appreciated.

[snehpets]

Dilemma:

Percentage hispanic so I identified as hispanic/white (non chicano) in apps.

Then I come to the questions wanting to know educational background. I may qualify as URM, but I was not "disadvantaged" growing up. Both parents have graduate degrees. However, I don't want to be discounted for financial aid/scholarships because of my parent's educational level. I am not counted as a dependent on their tax returns and manage to scrape by at my current employment. Is it sketchy to not disclose their educational levels? I don't want to get flagged for misrepresentation, but I also don't want to give the impression that just because they have graduate degrees they can bankroll my legal education.

Any help/tips appreciated.

You'll have to fill out need based forms at a lot of places anyway where you HAVE to put that, so it doesn't really matter. for places where they hand you a scholarship without you filling anything out it really won't matter. my dad makes a substantial amount of money (not like bill gates, lol, but definitely upper middle class), he has high level degree, and i've gotten several full-rides thus far. I'm not a URM either. Schools want URMs and they don't have to report stuff like "they're a URM but their parents are wealthy." they want you for the ranking.

Summary, it's probably better just to put it if they want it because you really don't want to look sketchy and it's unlikely to affect you at school's that don't require separate scholarship apps.

ETA: just realized i probably sound like a douche with the full-ride crap. just trying to give convincing evidence that it wouldn't matter. i don't have a full-ride anywhere super legit or anything just regional schools with lots of $$$ to burn.

[bobbyh1919]

I would be very surprised if this gets factored in when they make scholarship offers. I would just include it.

[bk1]

Percentage hispanic so I identified as hispanic/white (non chicano) in apps.

1. What does this mean? If you're part hispanic there is nothing wrong with identifying as such.

2. URM has nothing to do with being disadvantaged. All it has to do with is whether you are or are not a given race/ethnicity.

3. Less than a handful of schools give out any need-based aid. Almost all scholarships for law schools are merit based. Your parents' information isn't going to matter.

[caisforlovers3]

Thanks so much for the quick replies. I will go ahead and disclose family information. I did not earlier because I was worried it would count against me in the scholarship race, but hopefully it will not stand out.

Yeah, I was a bit worried about the URM as well. I am 1/8th, which I was always told qualified, but then some people argued for 1/4th. I was brought up to think of myself as part Hispanic, and after filling out other law apps with "Hispanic/White" on them I thought it would look sketchy to not put it on others. I'm not applying for any "Hispanic-only" scholarships as many of those require you to be 1/4th.

Also - you don't sound like a douche. Completely understandable.

As for the numbered reply - I was starting to feel like a lot of schools saw URM = disadvantaged based on materials I have received. I did not want to misrepresent myself.

[cutecarmel]

1. I don't think being Hispanic/White makes you an URM

2. Scholarships are based on merit, not need. And those that are based on need, would require tax forms, which would show your parents' financial situation anyways.

So. No, not sketchy to answer.

[bk1]

1. I don't think being Hispanic/White makes you an URM

Way to dredge up a week old thread. If you are PR/White or MX/White then you are a URM. If you are some sort of other Hispanic/White then you aren't a URM.