Immigration to the US at age 13 = "underrepresented group"?? Forum

[Anonymous User]

I immigrated to the US at age 13 and learned English as my second language.
Would "immigrants" be considered an underrepresented group for NYU Law?

Thanks

[bluepenguin]

No.

It could be useful as a diversity statement.

[cynthiad]

Where did you immigrate from? Was it Africa, Mexico, or Puerto Rico?

[Nova]

Like BP said, It doesnt make you a URM, and there is no bump generally associated with it.

However, it would make a great topic for a diversity statement.

[LexLeon]

I'm perplexed as to why someone would believe, without additional information, that an immigrant is not a member of a group that is underrepresented in law school classes.

An immigrant at age 13 is certainly a unique characteristic among law school applicants.

[stuckinthemiddle]

Because NYU Law is flexible in its definition of "underrepresented" and allows for the candidate's interpretation, I'd say OP can write about this. NYU Law Underrepresented =/= URM (I think...)

[Nova]

I'm perplexed as to why someone would believe, without additional information, that an immigrant is not a member of a group that is underrepresented in law school classes.

Not saying immigrants are not under represented. Saying it doesnt count as a URM, but is still a great DS topic.

An immigrant at age 13 is certainly a unique characteristic among law school applicants.

Please look up unique in the dictionary.

[Nova]

Because NYU Law is flexible in its definition of "underrepresented" and allows for the candidate's interpretation, I'd say OP can write about this. NYU Law Underrepresented =/= URM (I think...)

I wonder if women could write about being women.

[stuckinthemiddle]

Well, perhaps "women" would be a little bit of stretch since student populations are evenly split nowadays, but I can't imagine US law schools having a very well-represented immigrant population. In that respect, I feel OP would be justified in writing about his status. I would also consider sexual minorities a possible topic despite the lack of "URM" status. Perhaps even international students?

My point was that NYU did not limit the scope of its "underrepresented group" essay so many things that are not conventionally labeled "URM" would work, as long as they are within reason. If anything, I don't know how it could hurt (unless OP writes a poor statement). At worst, it will just be a show of diversity of experience.

Correct me if I'm wrong but does NYU even give the opportunity to add a diversity statement? I thought that the underrepresented group WAS the diversity statement in the NYU application package.

[TripTrip]

Well, perhaps "women" would be a little bit of stretch since student populations are evenly split nowadays, but I can't imagine US law schools having a very well-represented immigrant population. In that respect, I feel OP would be justified in writing about his status. I would also consider sexual minorities a possible topic despite the lack of "URM" status. Perhaps even international students?

In law school applications, URM includes only American Indians/Alaskan Natives, African Americans/Blacks, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans.

It has nothing to do with whether a particular group of people ("immigrants") are underrepresented and everything to do with which groups are actually given a quantifiable admissions boost because of their URM status. Also has to do with the court case specifically allowing those groups to be considered URM.

But, live Nova said, candidates with interesting backgrounds can write a diversity statement which can be a good soft.

[law2015]

You will not get an admissions boost by being an immigrant.

[stuckinthemiddle]

I don't think you're all following what the OP is asking.

NYU offers candidates the choice to write a statement on being part of an "underrepresented group" in place of writing a diversity statement (again, correct me if I'm wrong). For this particular statement, you don't necessarily need to be URM. I don't think OP's trying to get the URM boost. I think he's verifying whether he could write the statement on his status as an immigrant. I feel this is permissible as a lot of my friends have written this statement on non-URM topics.

[manofjustice]

NYU law. Fucking one giant big "underrepresented group." Did you catch the "pansexual" thread by any chance?

[bluepenguin]

NYU offers candidates the choice to write a statement on being part of an "underrepresented group" in place of writing a diversity statement (again, correct me if I'm wrong). For this particular statement, you don't necessarily need to be URM. I don't think OP's trying to get the URM boost. I think he's verifying whether he could write the statement on his status as an immigrant. I feel this is permissible as a lot of my friends have written this statement on non-URM topics.

Okay, I'm just gonna cop to not knowing this. Didn't look at the NYU app this year.

What is the exact prompt? Because that sounds like the stupidest essay topic I've ever heard. How on earth can you know if your group is underrepresented in law school/legal profession, much less NYU particularly? If you talk about being an immigrant, guessing it's UR when NYU admissions knows it's actually not, you're going to look assuming or ignorant.

If I had to guess, my bet would be that immigrants, broadly, are fairly well represented in all three (although I was shocked at how few international students NYU had). But I would guess tweenage immigrants from western Europe, Australia, most of South America and Asia are fairly to over-represented, whereas immigrants from poorer countries/refugees would be underrepresented.

I assumed OP was in the former group due to no mention of URM (from Africa, Mexico, PR) or refugee status. Maybe I shouldnt do that. -.-

[manofjustice]

I am noticing a trend on TLS tonight. Entitled people. We had a guy in the PS forum rudely post his crappy draft and command, with all caps and exclamation points, TLS to "CORRECT MY GRAMMAR!!!"...

We have this guy who is transparently grasping for an advantage in his application to NYU law...

...and we got a guy who apparently thinks January 11th is too late for him to wait any longer on his first choice school. He would like to admonish that school that it "just may have lost a student."

Wow...

[vanwinkle]

We have this guy who is transparently grasping for an advantage in his application to NYU law...

Dude, what the fuck. Seriously. Everyone should be "transparently grasping for an advantage" in getting into the best school possible. To get ahead, you should use everything you have to your advantage, and you should find out which of the things you have can be used to your advantage.

This is what the actual on-topic parts of TLS are about. They're supposed to be a place for people to ask questions and get info that helps them get ahead and do better in the admissions cycle. If you have a problem with that, I seriously suggest you stay out of the on-topics before you get yourself banned.

[manofjustice]

We have this guy who is transparently grasping for an advantage in his application to NYU law...

Dude, what the fuck. Seriously. Everyone should be "transparently grasping for an advantage" in getting into the best school possible. To get ahead, you should use everything you have to your advantage, and you should find out which of the things you have can be used to your advantage.

This is what the actual on-topic parts of TLS are about. They're supposed to be a place for people to ask questions and get info that helps them get ahead and do better in the admissions cycle. If you have a problem with that, I seriously suggest you stay out of the on-topics before you get yourself banned.

He asked "[w]ould "immigrants" be considered an underrepresented group for NYU Law?" Probably not.

[stuckinthemiddle]

But if he was talking about the NYU application essay, then probably yes.

[manofjustice]

But if he was talking about the NYU application essay, then probably yes.

Why does "underrepresented" mean something different at NYU than elsewhere? Perhaps writing a DS would be more appropriate.

[stuckinthemiddle]

As I recall, there is no space for a DS. The open-ended "underrepresented group" essay takes that spot.

[vanwinkle]

He asked "[w]ould "immigrants" be considered an underrepresented group for NYU Law?" Probably not.

This does not excuse your response.

But if he was talking about the NYU application essay, then probably yes.

Why does "underrepresented" mean something different at NYU than elsewhere? Perhaps writing a DS would be more appropriate.

Because NYU Law uniquely has a question titled "Underrepresented Group", which states the following:

6. Underrepresented Group

Optional: New York University School of Law seeks to enroll a student body from a broad spectrum of society, including members of groups underrepresented in the profession as well as persons who have experienced socio-economic and/or educational disadvantage. Please indicate here any such groups in which you would include yourself.

Clearly this is asking about something broader than "URM" status. As other posters have already indicated, this is an NYU-specific question that involves an NYU-specific response.

I will warn you again: Tread lightly in the on-topic forums. It is not wise to make assumptions and then assert them instead of actually knowing the facts, and it is especially not wise to berate an OP for asking a valid question when you are obviously clueless on the entire subject. You should plan on either staying out of the on-topic forums or being much smarter about how you post in the future, if you want to avoid being banned.

[vanwinkle]

To OP: This is something you can definitely talk about in the "Underrepresented Group" section.

[crazyrobin]

6. Underrepresented Group

Optional: New York University School of Law seeks to enroll a student body from a broad spectrum of society, including members of groups underrepresented in the profession as well as persons who have experienced socio-economic and/or educational disadvantage. Please indicate here any such groups in which you would include yourself.

Clearly this is asking about something broader than "URM" status. As other posters have already indicated, this is an NYU-specific question that involves an NYU-specific response.

Hi Van, mind me asking you this question, how to interpret educational disadvantage here?

[vanwinkle]

6. Underrepresented Group

Optional: New York University School of Law seeks to enroll a student body from a broad spectrum of society, including members of groups underrepresented in the profession as well as persons who have experienced socio-economic and/or educational disadvantage. Please indicate here any such groups in which you would include yourself.

Clearly this is asking about something broader than "URM" status. As other posters have already indicated, this is an NYU-specific question that involves an NYU-specific response.

Hi Van, mind me asking you this question, how to interpret educational disadvantage here?

To be honest, I'm not really sure.

However, I think my advice would be that, like any other diversity essay, you approach it from a "smell test" point of view. Is this something that other people would actually care about, or find unique enough that it adds diversity? I suspect that in cases where it actually matters, it will go hand-in-hand with socio-economic adversity. (For a personal example, I was raised in a poverty-stricken community, which lent itself both to poor socio-economic conditions growing up and one of the worst schools in the state.)

I suspect that in most cases where "educational disadvantage" is worth mentioning, it will involve either severe socio-economic disadvantage or an experience in a foreign environment, such as growing up as a woman or minority group in a country where women or minorities are still forbidden access to primary education.