Asian or Other Forum

[CattyPake]

.

[bk1]

It won't be any different.

If you are worried then just decline to respond rather than marking other.

[CattyPake]

Thanks! I wasn't aware that I could decline to respond though. I though "other" was the decline to respond option.

[bk1]

Thanks! I wasn't aware that I could decline to respond though. I though "other" was the decline to respond option.

Other actually means other (often for multiracial individuals when forms don't allow for it or ethnicities that get left off the form or for forms that just don't conform to what people actually are). I'm not 100% sure that you can decline so read the form just to make sure. Even if you mark Asian, there won't be a difference between that and white.

[unc0mm0n1]

I'm not sure I agree with this. Being Asian can help you esp in the diversity statement. I have a friend who applied last cycle she was first generation Cambodian-American very poor socio-economic situation and she got into law schools above where her numbers would say she should have been. Also I think not all Asians are viewed the same. I know that Cambodians or Hmong people aren't normally as advantaged as say Japanese-Americans.

[SupraVln180]

Lol I know some girl who marked "other" for Med School applications and she had a "character interview" and they grilled her on why she marked "other" because she is clearly white. Haha she got real nervous and said, "Well, I'm italian but sometimes people think I am spanish, so I'm like mysterious and people don't really know what I am."

I can't believe that woman is going to be a doctor one day.

To stay on topic, just mark Asian.

[unc0mm0n1]

Lol I know some girl who marked "other" for Med School applications and she had a "character interview" and they grilled her on why she marked "other" because she is clearly white. Haha she got real nervous and said, "Well, I'm italian but sometimes people think I am spanish, so I'm like mysterious and people don't really know what I am."

I can't believe that woman is going to be a doctor one day.

To stay on topic, just mark Asian.

Dude, I laughed so much. Was she actually Italian? Or like my great great grandma lived in Italy in 1870.

[aspire2more]

Thanks! I wasn't aware that I could decline to respond though. I though "other" was the decline to respond option.

Other means other. I think checking it if you identify as one of the listed races/ethnicities is clearly unethical. The questions are optional, so I'd just leave it blank if you're concerned.

[DoubleChecks]

I'm not sure I agree with this. Being Asian can help you esp in the diversity statement. I have a friend who applied last cycle she was first generation Cambodian-American very poor socio-economic situation and she got into law schools above where her numbers would say she should have been. Also I think not all Asians are viewed the same. I know that Cambodians or Hmong people aren't normally as advantaged as say Japanese-Americans.

her diversity statement was probably what helped..not the checking the box Asian bit...(unless see later exception). OP, id just check asian. for ugrad, it'd hurt you. for law schools, i think at worst it would make you on par with a white applicant. depending on the school (i guess think a florida school with almost no asians), it could even help.

[CattyPake]

Other means other. I think checking it if you identify as one of the listed races/ethnicities is clearly unethical. The questions are optional, so I'd just leave it blank if you're concerned.

Well I'm certainly not trying to be unethical or lie about my background but while I consider myself Asian American/Chinese American, I would not self-identify as Asian or Chinese. To me, it's the same difference between an African and an African-American. I will go with your advice and leave it blanks.

[CattyPake]

her diversity statement was probably what helped..not the checking the box Asian bit...(unless see later exception). OP, id just check asian. for ugrad, it'd hurt you. for law schools, i think at worst it would make you on par with a white applicant. depending on the school (i guess think a florida school with almost no asians), it could even help.

I believe you but I was just wondering why checking Asian isn't as much of a drawback for law school as it is for undergrad.

[DoubleChecks]

her diversity statement was probably what helped..not the checking the box Asian bit...(unless see later exception). OP, id just check asian. for ugrad, it'd hurt you. for law schools, i think at worst it would make you on par with a white applicant. depending on the school (i guess think a florida school with almost no asians), it could even help.

I believe you but I was just wondering why checking Asian isn't as much of a drawback for law school as it is for undergrad.

mostly anecdotal evidence (on a relatively large scale). there has not been a study on asians and law schools that im aware of (at least not like the one they have for ugrads, where it shows how being asian definitely hurts...a lot). my guess is law school is more of a numbers game, unlike ugrad where they look at extra-curriculars, etc. more intently. also, there are fewer asians interested in law schools compared to ugrad in general (%-wise, even when taking into account the smaller populations of the two groups).

[unc0mm0n1]

I'm not sure I agree with this. Being Asian can help you esp in the diversity statement. I have a friend who applied last cycle she was first generation Cambodian-American very poor socio-economic situation and she got into law schools above where her numbers would say she should have been. Also I think not all Asians are viewed the same. I know that Cambodians or Hmong people aren't normally as advantaged as say Japanese-Americans.

her diversity statement was probably what helped..not the checking the box Asian bit...(unless see later exception). OP, id just check asian. for ugrad, it'd hurt you. for law schools, i think at worst it would make you on par with a white applicant. depending on the school (i guess think a florida school with almost no asians), it could even help.

exactly I agree. But her DS would have sounded hollow if she played up her Asian background but then didn't even check that she identified with that community. I'm saying I would check the Asian box and then explain to the law school how me being there will be a value added proposition. Although in the case of the OP I don't think Chinese American will help her as much as a Cambodian who strongly identified with her heritage and was evident through her EC's (just my two cents).

[SupraVln180]

Lol I know some girl who marked "other" for Med School applications and she had a "character interview" and they grilled her on why she marked "other" because she is clearly white. Haha she got real nervous and said, "Well, I'm italian but sometimes people think I am spanish, so I'm like mysterious and people don't really know what I am."

I can't believe that woman is going to be a doctor one day.

To stay on topic, just mark Asian.

Dude, I laughed so much. Was she actually Italian? Or like my great great grandma lived in Italy in 1870.

Yeah, she is italian. She is just a moron and thought she'd get a diversity bump for marking other, then got grilled for it during her character interview. It was a group interview so someone who was in the room with her, told me the story and I thought it was hilarious.

[justadude55]

Also it's underrepresented minority.

Jews are a minority, but they are certainly not underrepresented as they are about 1% of the US, but 40% of HLS.

Underrepresented generally works like this:

10% of the population is XXX. 1% of law schools are XXX.

The real goal of this system, I'd imagine is to ultimately have it that there is no such thing as a URM.