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you should be considered a URM still.

Dreamcast11 wrote:Does checking both white and mexican count as URM?

I am 50/50, and already submitted my app. Starting to regret that I didn't just check the Mexican box but I felt it would be safe to disclose.

Any help would be appreciated

I think consensus on these boards is that you will be considered URM if you check both.

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Dreamcast11 wrote:Thanks for you help guys.....

Are there any half URMs out there who checked both boxes who can give anecdotal info as to whether or not they got the URM Boost?

I did write a DS noting my hispanic heritage!

Mexican + DS = URM boost, as far as it's currently understood. Even if it's only half.

I am interested in reading about this as well. Some of the schools I applied to asked if I identified as Hispanic/Latino and then they would have me check off a box specifying what kind of Hispanic (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc). But then, they would also have a separate box that asked me to check at least one of the following: Asian, American Indian/Alaskan, Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, Black/African-American, and White.

So even if I did mark that I was Hispanic (and I know that Hispanic isn't a race category)...I also had to choose White because it was a required field and I'm definitely not Black, Asian, or Indian, even though I wouldn't consider myself White.

vanwinkle wrote:

Dreamcast11 wrote:Thanks for you help guys.....

Are there any half URMs out there who checked both boxes who can give anecdotal info as to whether or not they got the URM Boost?

I did write a DS noting my hispanic heritage!

Mexican + DS = URM boost, as far as it's currently understood. Even if it's only half.

What about Mexican without DS? I do address living in mexico in my PS but not the whole "discrimination and adding a unique perspective"

HowdyYall wrote:What about Mexican without DS? I do address living in mexico in my PS but not the whole "discrimination and adding a unique perspective"

Discussing your heritage in your PS is the equivalent of submitting a DS, really. It's just making sure they have the information about that part of you one way or the other.

vanwinkle wrote:

HowdyYall wrote:What about Mexican without DS? I do address living in mexico in my PS but not the whole "discrimination and adding a unique perspective"

Discussing your heritage in your PS is the equivalent of submitting a DS, really. It's just making sure they have the information about that part of you one way or the other.

thats what i figured jim! gracias

I would imagine that if you only check the box, but fail to mention any diversity elements in your PS or DS then you might not get the boost at all schools. Certain schools (Boalt, Michigan, UCLA, etc...) are statutorily required to NOT take race into account when making admissions decisions, so your box checking would have no impact whatsoever.

bdubs wrote:I would imagine that if you only check the box, but fail to mention any diversity elements in your PS or DS then you might not get the boost at all schools. Certain schools (Boalt, Michigan, UCLA, etc...) are statutorily required to NOT take race into account when making admissions decisions, so your box checking would have no impact whatsoever.

Technically, under the Grutter/Gratz scheme, it's unconstitutional for any school to give everyone who checks a certain race box a certain predetermined boost, but it's legal for them to individually consider applicants and give individualized boosts to those who would "increase diversity" of the student body. As a result the way schools should be functioning is to provide boosts based not just on your racial identity but also what experiences you have (mentioned in a PS or DS) that would add to school diversity.

Because of this it's important to make sure you try to either write something about your heritage and what perspective it gives you in your PS or a separate DS, because it pushes your application more readily into the realm of one they could give a "boost" and still remain in compliance with the law.

Some schools may push the boundaries of this more than others, but to be safe the more you can show the better your odds are.

vanwinkle wrote:

bdubs wrote:I would imagine that if you only check the box, but fail to mention any diversity elements in your PS or DS then you might not get the boost at all schools. Certain schools (Boalt, Michigan, UCLA, etc...) are statutorily required to NOT take race into account when making admissions decisions, so your box checking would have no impact whatsoever.

Technically, under the Grutter/Gratz scheme, it's unconstitutional for any school to give everyone who checks a certain race box a certain predetermined boost

Not any school. Any state school.

Renzo wrote:Not any school. Any state school.

Oops, my bad.

vanwinkle wrote:

Renzo wrote:Not any school. Any state school.

Oops, my bad.

I just happen to be procrastinating from studying the fuck outta some 14th amendment action right now.

Renzo wrote:

vanwinkle wrote:

Renzo wrote:Not any school. Any state school.

Oops, my bad.

I just happen to be procrastinating from studying the fuck outta some 14th amendment action right now.

TLS: Providing fact patterns to attack since 2007.

..

Dreamcast11 wrote:Just wanna give this one more bump....hoping for some first or second hand experiences from past half-urms!!!

I'm also interested in hearing about how this turned out for people in previous cycles.

I am 1/4 Mexican and plan to check both both boxes and address it in a DS, but not my PS. Would also love to hear any perspective of folks with similar situations.

vanwinkle wrote:

bdubs wrote:I would imagine that if you only check the box, but fail to mention any diversity elements in your PS or DS then you might not get the boost at all schools. Certain schools (Boalt, Michigan, UCLA, etc...) are statutorily required to NOT take race into account when making admissions decisions, so your box checking would have no impact whatsoever.

Technically, under the Grutter/Gratz scheme, it's unconstitutional for any school to give everyone who checks a certain race box a certain predetermined boost, but it's legal for them to individually consider applicants and give individualized boosts to those who would "increase diversity" of the student body. As a result the way schools should be functioning is to provide boosts based not just on your racial identity but also what experiences you have (mentioned in a PS or DS) that would add to school diversity.

Because of this it's important to make sure you try to either write something about your heritage and what perspective it gives you in your PS or a separate DS, because it pushes your application more readily into the realm of one they could give a "boost" and still remain in compliance with the law.

Some schools may push the boundaries of this more than others, but to be safe the more you can show the better your odds are.

I am "other hispanic", but my PS clearly shows my fluent ability in Spanish, and my volunteer work helping the Latino community. I hope being fluent in oral and written Spanish, and my volunteer efforts demonstrates a tie to my culture.
My adviser said I have a strong PS. I hope U michigan will realize I am hispanic when they read my PS and admit me. My GPA is above their 75th, but my LSAT is below their 25th. So, i will need the BOOST.
Do you think it will work?

3.88 gpa, 163 lsat

When I applied to college, I read that there weren't enough top minority students for the top colleges. Of the few top URM students, the top colleges would "fight" to try to get them into their school.
So, I can only imagine that there are even fewer top URM college grads to fill the seats at the top law schools. I personally think the schools don't care what type of hispanic you are, esp if you can demonstrate ties to your heritage.
That said, if a school like Michigan has 167 as the 25th percentile for lsat, that means 25% of the student have BELOW that number!!
How far below is anyone's guess. Michigan had only 3% hispanics in the class of 2013 (vs. 4% for the class of 2012). There are about 7.9% hispanics in the US. Therefore, hispanics are WAY underrepresented at umich. I would think they would be thrilled to get any hispanic whose app comes through their computer screen!

Univ of Tx at Austin doesn't even make any distinction amongst the different hispanic groups. There is only ONE check box for all hispanics, regardless of where they come from.

I realize it's still early, but I did what the OP did and so far my cycle has gone very strict by the numbers, without any evident boost of any sort.

masterthearts wrote:Univ of Tx at Austin doesn't even make any distinction amongst the different hispanic groups. There is only ONE check box for all hispanics, regardless of where they come from.

This is true, but they get so many Hispanic applicants they don't have to give a real boost to add diversity in that way. In fact, their Hispanic enrollment is double that of many northern law schools.

vanwinkle wrote:

masterthearts wrote:Univ of Tx at Austin doesn't even make any distinction amongst the different hispanic groups. There is only ONE check box for all hispanics, regardless of where they come from.

This is true, but they get so many Hispanic applicants they don't have to give a real boost to add diversity in that way. In fact, their Hispanic enrollment is double that of many northern law schools.

Doesn't Texas have a state law/constitutional provision that forbids race-conscious decisions in college admissions?

Knock wrote:I realize it's still early, but I did what the OP did and so far my cycle has gone very strict by the numbers, without any evident boost of any sort.

But you've only gotten into your pretty much auto-admit schools so far so we don't know yet! and one of them was a CA public school