Minority privilege

[jokerjoe12]

Do you guys think that applying as a minority helps?

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[geckel]

Do you guys think that applying as a minority matters?

What do mean? Are you asking if being an under-represented minority can help someone gain acceptance at certain schools? If so then yea it can matter. For sure, it doesn't hurt an applicant.

 

[jokerjoe12]

What do mean? Are you asking if being an under-represented minority can help someone gain acceptance at certain schools? If so then yea it can matter. For sure, it doesn't hurt an applicant.

Im asking if it really makes that much of a difference applying as a minority

 

[geckel]

Im asking if it really makes that much of a difference applying as a minority

I think it does matter depending on the school and the applicant pool. Schools want to reflect the population but if there are few minority appicants then the standards have to drop. There are required percentiles for the racial make up of a class, they probably vary from state to state.

 

[PDizzle]

I would say that it definitely does not hurt you at all!

It also depends on the state and if it's private or a state school. I can speak for California and say that it's a plus any way you slice it.

 

[howui3]

It does help when applying to Howard where the minorities are the majority.

 

[Jennifer J.]

I happen to think you're all wrong. If you are an unqualified candidate, they are not going to consider you bottomline. If you're grade or scores don't cut it, definately don't count on getting in just because you're African American or Latino, Native American, etc.

 

[beredsox2]

Lets put it this way: if you are an underrepresented minority, the schools want you and depending from year to year it will be easier to get in with less than the average admitted stats for that particular program.

 

[berryfremont]

It will help you

 

[PDizzle]

I happen to think you're all wrong. If you are an unqualified candidate, they are not going to consider you bottomline. If you're grade or scores don't cut it, definately don't count on getting in just because you're African American or Latino, Native American, etc.

You're nuts if you think it doesn't help! "Help" is the key word here. No one is saying that a DAT of 15 and a 2.8 GPA will get a minority in, the OP just asked if it helps, and it does.

The thing is that there are hundreds of applicants with the exact same stats and qualifications and the adcoms have the dificult task of choosing.

2 equal applicants. One is a minority that the school wants in order to make their numbers look nice. The other is of the majority. The minority will get it. That's the definition of afirmitive action and some schools do it, some don't.

You can debate whether that is the right thing to do but to say being a minority doesn't help is just incorrect.

 

[geckel]

You're nuts if you think it doesn't help! "Help" is the key word here. No one is saying that a DAT of 15 and a 2.8 GPA will get a minority in, the OP just asked if it helps, and it does.

The thing is that there are hundreds of applicants with the exact same stats and qualifications and the adcoms have the dificult task of choosing.

2 equal applicants. One is a minority that the school wants in order to make their numbers look nice. The other is of the majority. The minority will get it. That's the definition of afirmitive action and some schools do it, some don't.

You can debate whether that is the right thing to do but to say being a minority doesn't help is just incorrect.

I actually knew an AA female that was accepted in December with the same stats that you used in your example (her DAT was a 16 though). Wasn't a minority school either.

 

[geckel]

You're nuts if you think it doesn't help! "Help" is the key word here. No one is saying that a DAT of 15 and a 2.8 GPA will get a minority in, the OP just asked if it helps, and it does.

The thing is that there are hundreds of applicants with the exact same stats and qualifications and the adcoms have the dificult task of choosing.

2 equal applicants. One is a minority that the school wants in order to make their numbers look nice. The other is of the majority. The minority will get it. That's the definition of afirmitive action and some schools do it, some don't.

You can debate whether that is the right thing to do but to say being a minority doesn't help is just incorrect.

I actually knew someone that was accepted in December with the same stats that you used in your example (her DAT was a 16 though). Wasn't a minority school either. I feel that if she hadn't been a minority she would not have been accepted.......her application was far from impressive. To be honest, I don't think that she would have got in this year. It is getting more competitive across the board.

 

[geckel]

This makes it a triple post