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Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:15 pm
by Broncos15
Hello,

I was curious .....would i be impacted in a negative way from any URM boost if I am struggling in a Spanish course in UG?

I was born and raised here but my mother is Hispanic. Because of the influence i have had Spanish spoken around the home and was exposed to it....but not so much the grammatical nuances in a course. I feel having this influence helped me test out of Spanish 1 and 2 at my UG institution since I got the credits without prior studying..., but then in Spanish 3 I felt totally unprepared since the teacher gave us exercise problems without teaching or giving an explanation to the correct answers

Now I am in Spanish 4 ( the most advanced one needed for my graduation) ....and struggling since this is my first time getting formal teaching in a Spanish course in 5 years.


From a URM perspective: would struggling in this course and getting a B/C hurt me anymore than getting a B or C in a History course for example

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:18 pm
by itascot1992
Broncos15 wrote:Hello,

I was curious .....would i be impacted in a negative way from any URM boost if I am struggling in a Spanish course in UG?

I was born and raised here but my mother is Hispanic. Because of the influence i have had Spanish spoken around the home and was exposed to it....but not so much the grammatical nuances in a course. I feel having this influence helped me test out of Spanish 1 and 2 at my UG institution since I got the credits without prior studying..., but then in Spanish 3 I felt totally unprepared since the teacher gave us exercise problems without teaching or giving an explanation to the correct answers

Now I am in Spanish 4 ( the most advanced one needed for my graduation) ....and struggling since this is my first time getting formal teaching in a Spanish course in 5 years.


From a URM perspective: would struggling in this course and getting a B/C hurt me anymore than getting a B or C in a History course for example
No, thats like saying a lightskin black person is not as much a URM than a darkskinned black person

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:19 pm
by TLSModBot
Broncos15 wrote:Hello,

I was curious .....would i be impacted in a negative way from any URM boost if I am struggling in a Spanish course in UG?

I was born and raised here but my mother is Hispanic. Because of the influence i have had Spanish spoken around the home and was exposed to it....but not so much the grammatical nuances in a course. I feel having this influence helped me test out of Spanish 1 and 2 at my UG institution since I got the credits without prior studying..., but then in Spanish 3 I felt totally unprepared since the teacher gave us exercise problems without teaching or giving an explanation to the correct answers

Now I am in Spanish 4 ( the most advanced one needed for my graduation) ....and struggling since this is my first time getting formal teaching in a Spanish course in 5 years.


From a URM perspective: would struggling in this course and getting a B/C hurt me anymore than getting a B or C in a History course for example
What? No. I seriously doubt anyone's checking up extensively on your URM credentials. In some states they legally can't.

See this for more info:
http://www.lsac.org/jd/diversity-in-law ... applicants

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:20 pm
by Broncos15
The reason I ask is because those applicants who show that being a URM has a provided them a diverse perspective are more likely to get any boost compared to someone who simply checks off the ethnicity box on LSAC

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:35 pm
by Tr3
Nope, I don't think it will hurt you. I'm MA and got a B- in a Spanish class and had a good cycle. Just make sure your GPA stays high. (I also did really well in other Spanish classes, though...)

Anyway, I doubt it'll affect you.

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 1:41 pm
by BearsintheRafters
I'm also an MA, and I never took Spanish classes (French... such a dumb decision). Moreover, I didn't write a diversity statement for my applications. I still had a great cycle, and from what I can tell I got the URM bump. I think adcomms will appreciate any unique experience you bring to the table, but they won't challenge you to prove how URM you are.

However from what I understand, it IS important to be MA! I don't think other Hispanic ethnicities get the same bump.

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 3:05 pm
by 071816
Broncos15 wrote:Hello,

I was curious .....would i be impacted in a negative way from any URM boost if I am struggling in a Spanish course in UG?

I was born and raised here but my mother is Hispanic. Because of the influence i have had Spanish spoken around the home and was exposed to it....but not so much the grammatical nuances in a course. I feel having this influence helped me test out of Spanish 1 and 2 at my UG institution since I got the credits without prior studying..., but then in Spanish 3 I felt totally unprepared since the teacher gave us exercise problems without teaching or giving an explanation to the correct answers

Now I am in Spanish 4 ( the most advanced one needed for my graduation) ....and struggling since this is my first time getting formal teaching in a Spanish course in 5 years.


From a URM perspective: would struggling in this course and getting a B/C hurt me anymore than getting a B or C in a History course for example
no

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 4:08 pm
by Broncos15
So there is essentially no difference between getting a B in Spanish and a B in History for a HIspanic URM

Re: Hispanic URM...do related courses matter?

Posted: Thu Apr 09, 2015 4:32 pm
by 071816
Broncos15 wrote:So there is essentially no difference between getting a B in Spanish and a B in History for a HIspanic URM
that would be like asking if black URMs get dinged for getting a B in african american literature or something