Middle Eastern URM? Forum

[Ashley88]

Okay so I am a middle eastern female and I'm wondering if this at all contributes to URM status and how beneficial it is in my application process. I have a 3.1 GPA with majors in english, arabic, and pre law with a minor in philosophy. Just took the LSAT and I'm HOPING for a 160 range but also considering something lower as I am unsure as how I did exactly. My entire PS and application is based on the middle eastern theme and how women aren't expected to honestly seek higher education. I am just interested in any knowledge/advice regarding this, as there is not much research online, but I was told that top schools are seeking people of my race and gender. Thoughts greatly appreciated

[kaiser]

Absolutely not a URM, and the classifications make this pretty clear. You would check off "white"

[kaiser]

Oh, and here is the actual language to back that up:

"White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa."

Those from the Middle East are grouped in with those from Europe. And the more recent change was to include people from North Africa in the classification of "white", since so many people from countries such as Egypt were checking African American.

[cinephile]

It won't count as URM, but writing a diversity statement sounds like it could help. You could keep this as your PS, or do this as a DS and have a separate PS, up to you if you have something else that you could write about in an interesting manner.

However, there are tons of middle eastern women in law school (at least at my school). While schools are always interested in diversity, I'm not sure you'd find yourself in an underrepresented group.

ETA: in light of the previous posts, I think it's fine to check off "other." I always do as I don't self-identify as white and that's really a big part of what race is - self-identification.

[rgndvo]

Some responses to these questions are just awful. So she has to "check white," says the bitter kaiser (who likely doesn't want OP's non-whiteness to give her a tiny boost in admissions), even though she is obviously not treated as such in this country? I mean, does anyone honestly believe that Arabs are treated like whites in this country? How many Americans consider Osama Bin Laden to be a white dude?

I, myself, am 3/4 Egyptian, and I certainly don't consider that partition of my heritage to be "white." My brother (technically half-brother) is applying to law school this cycle; he is fully Egyptian and will be checking "other." OP, If you are not an Afro-Arab (i.e. black), you are most likely not a URM, but don't be pigeonholed into checking a box with which you don't identify. The "white experience" in America, if one there be, is utterly alien to Arab-Americans.

Incidentally, while LSAC may characterize every Arab and North African as "white", the US Census has acceded to reality, and no longer does so as of 2010. Also see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rADoPrMsQt4

[Angrygeopolitically]

Write DS. Sell self-stress being able to speak Arabic. Retake the LSAT.

[rgndvo]

It won't count as URM, but writing a diversity statement sounds like it could help. You could keep this as your PS, or do this as a DS and have a separate PS, up to you if you have something else that you could write about in an interesting manner.

However, there are tons of middle eastern women in law school (at least at my school). While schools are always interested in diversity, I'm not sure you'd find yourself in an underrepresented group.

ETA: in light of the previous posts, I think it's fine to check off "other." I always do as I don't self-identify as white and that's really a big part of what race is - self-identification.

@Cinephile-
Your anecdote is interesting. Further, there are some empirical data to support the notion of Arabic/Middle Eastern success in the legal profession, academia, and other upper-middle class professions. For example, consider this] from the Arab-American Institute:

Arab Americans with at least a high school diploma number 89%. More 46% of Americans of Arab decent have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 28% of Americans at large. 19% of Arab Americans have a post-graduate degree, which is nearly twice the American average (10%). Of the population currently enrolled in school, 13% are in pre-school, 57% are in elementary or high school, 22% are enrolled in college, and 7% are conducting graduate studies.


Source: http://www.aaiusa.org/pages/demographics/

Consequently, if Arabs were officially dubbed to be "non-white," they would likely be considered ORM's.