One last application question

USNFilms

5-Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2010
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86
It's required for me to input something in the remarks section titled "Please provide a brief explanation of your ethnic/racial heritage".

What would be an example of what I should say? I'm white.
 
Well so is Mitt Romney, but with his grandfather having lived for many moons in Mexico, he'd qualify as a Mexican. True. There are many former Germans who moved there and can thus be determined "Hispanic" for government purposes. The woman running for governor in MA has a great grandma named Hiawatha and thus has claimed "Native American" altho it's not been proven. Got any ethnic loopholes you can play? Doing so would be to your advantage, no doubt.
 
Well so is Mitt Romney, but with his grandfather having lived for many moons in Mexico, he'd qualify as a Mexican. True. There are many former Germans who moved there and can thus be determined "Hispanic" for government purposes. The woman running for governor in MA has a great grandma named Hiawatha and thus has claimed "Native American" altho it's not been proven. Got any ethnic loopholes you can play? Doing so would be to your advantage, no doubt.

Seriously? :rolleyes:

To the OP: just freaking write "white" or "Caucasian/European heritage." Don't nuke it.
 
Hurricane, you apparently have done no research on this issue. Google it. NYTimes and many government agencies have posted positions on this. It is not nearly so apparent as you may think. All highly selective schools have seen monumental increases in their diversity assessments since the feds have required this measure. And fair is fair.

Not so quick on this, knowing the important advantage it can provide. And remember, ethnicity, according to the Department of Education is a function of how the applicant "feels" about his or her heritage. Indeed some agencies use the "one drop" test. Others, as in Romney's case, since his father was Mexican born, is fully an hispanic American by legal definition. (as we know, hispanic is not a racial classification) And that is all that is being asked here. What is legal. And in any case there is no witch hunt or validation required of any claiming certain ethnicities.

So be honest, but if you have a great-great grandfather who's grandma might have been a slave or a missionary to Mexico? Don't underestimate the value of some research on the old family tree. And it is fully ethical and honest. Seriously. It may be more valuable and important than retaking the SAT 5 more times.
 
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Well, then for my future app would it be to my advantage if I write that I'm 25% North Korean and 75% South Korean? Or would that label me as part of the "axis of evil" and nuke my chances of admission?
 
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lol ... I'm not sure that communist vs. free man need be differentiated in your Korean ancestry. :wink:
 
communist vs. free man may not need be differentiated on the application but that does sound like a wicked essay.
 
communist vs. free man may not need be differentiated on the application but that does sound like a wicked essay.
There's an essay for that topic? I thought it's "why do you want to be an army officer" and "what qualities do you have that enhance the us army" or something like that.:confused:
 
Answering that question ensures a quick trip to the wrong side at the Army-Navy game. :eek: I think you're disoriented, dlee. :confused:
 
Hurricane, you apparently have done no research on this issue. Google it. NYTimes and many government agencies have posted positions on this. It is not nearly so apparent as you may think. All highly selective schools have seen monumental increases in their diversity assessments since the feds have required this measure. And fair is fair.

Not so quick on this, knowing the important advantage it can provide. And remember, ethnicity, according to the Department of Education is a function of how the applicant "feels" about his or her heritage. Indeed some agencies use the "one drop" test. Others, as in Romney's case, since his father was Mexican born, is fully an hispanic American by legal definition. (as we know, hispanic is not a racial classification) And that is all that is being asked here. What is legal. And in any case there is no witch hunt or validation required of any claiming certain ethnicities.

So be honest, but if you have a great-great grandfather who's grandma might have been a slave or a missionary to Mexico? Don't underestimate the value of some research on the old family tree. And it is fully ethical and honest. Seriously. It may be more valuable and important than retaking the SAT 5 more times.

If you seriously are telling Caucasian applicants to try to claim under-represented minority status based on a parent/forbear who lived in Mexico or South/Central America for a spell (as opposed to making some sort of political commentary about the role of diversity policies in American life), I strongly disagree with that "strategy.". I would not agree that is an ethical or honest approach, nor do I think a typical MOC nominating panel or USNA Admissions Board would agree that sort of semantic shenanigans is either ethical, honest, or worthy of someone seeking a place at USNA.
 
You're entitled to your opinion. It is what it is. And such analysis is fully ethical and honest, and in fact exactly what is implied. The feds want to know candidates heritage. Do your own homework. Race and ethnicity do not have to do exclusively with the way one "looks." This is about diversity. And if you're suggesting that a candidate whose parents were born and bred in one country and emigrated to the USA could not proclaim herself as a person fully of that descent, you are incorrect. Your presumption may be sorely naive. Why would you deny such, even if you'd not had cause to discover your full ethnicity prior to this call of a lifetime? Knowing it and denying it might well be deemed dishonest.

Of course, what your assumption is ... that this factor may well lend some unfair advantage. Right?

Well, it is only unfair if it is dishonest.
 
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Well, the Academy wants persons of integrity. It's even the first line of the honor concept (Midshipmen are persons of integrity, they stand for that which is right...).
I don't know what that means to you, but to me it means that they do the right thing even when they stand to gain and there's no chance of consequence. It doesn't matter what other people are doing, it matters that they do the right thing. If the OP is just some boring white kid with no ethnic past, then he should write that he's just some boring white kid with no ethnic past rather than concocting or playing up something that's not/barely there.

WP, I really don't get your angle here, both in this thread and several other posts you've recently put up. You post with blatant attacks on the admissions system and snide comments about how the Academy does business in response to innocent questions from parents and candidates. I don't see how this helps anyone.
These kids are, by and large, still in high school. They're pumped about USNA and even more pumped about serving their country. This is a great thing. I don't see how planting ideas in their heads about NAPSters, athletes, minorities, or whatever group somehow "slipping through the cracks" or having lower standards helps them out. It just turns them against potential classmates. If they show up to USNA and think this is true, then that's on them. If their experience is anything like mine, they'll realize that turds come in all shapes and sizes, including non-athlete WASPy males, and so do studs.

The supe, your Congressman, or any relevant decision maker doesn't read this forum or care what you or anyone else here thinks (actually, that's not true...as an alum who can donate money, they care what I think, but the bulk of my O-1 paycheck is going other places for now). Pretending that you're smarter than everyone else by pointing out the flaws in the system gets you and these candidates nowhere.
Here's a hint: everyone else knows the system isn't perfect too. But it does pretty well, all things considered, and for other gripes I think most people here realize that this isn't really the time or place.

The forum, from my interpretation, is about providing guidance to candidates, parents and mids/cadets. Are you here to help kids out? Great! Then help them out. If you're not, then maybe this isn't where you should be posting.
 
If you seriously are telling Caucasian applicants to try to claim under-represented minority status based on a parent/forbear who lived in Mexico or South/Central America for a spell (as opposed to making some sort of political commentary about the role of diversity policies in American life), I strongly disagree with that "strategy.". I would not agree that is an ethical or honest approach, nor do I think a typical MOC nominating panel or USNA Admissions Board would agree that sort of semantic shenanigans is either ethical, honest, or worthy of someone seeking a place at USNA.
Also, if you resort to such a "strategy", be sure to tell all your company classmates exactly what you did, and as soon as possible, even on I-Day. While you are at it, you might as well tell the cadre. But they might already know since they may have a breakdown of the platoon demographics. It will endear you to them forever when they see what kind of person you are.
 
Well, the Academy wants persons of integrity. It's even the first line of the honor concept (Midshipmen are persons of integrity, they stand for that which is right...).
I don't know what that means to you, but to me it means that they do the right thing even when they stand to gain and there's no chance of consequence. It doesn't matter what other people are doing, it matters that they do the right thing. If the OP is just some boring white kid with no ethnic past, then he should write that he's just some boring white kid with no ethnic past rather than concocting or playing up something that's not/barely there.

WP, I really don't get your angle here, both in this thread and several other posts you've recently put up. You post with blatant attacks on the admissions system and snide comments about how the Academy does business in response to innocent questions from parents and candidates. I don't see how this helps anyone.
These kids are, by and large, still in high school. They're pumped about USNA and even more pumped about serving their country. This is a great thing. I don't see how planting ideas in their heads about NAPSters, athletes, minorities, or whatever group somehow "slipping through the cracks" or having lower standards helps them out. It just turns them against potential classmates. If they show up to USNA and think this is true, then that's on them. If their experience is anything like mine, they'll realize that turds come in all shapes and sizes, including non-athlete WASPy males, and so do studs.

The supe, your Congressman, or any relevant decision maker doesn't read this forum or care what you or anyone else here thinks (actually, that's not true...as an alum who can donate money, they care what I think, but the bulk of my O-1 paycheck is going other places for now). Pretending that you're smarter than everyone else by pointing out the flaws in the system gets you and these candidates nowhere.
Here's a hint: everyone else knows the system isn't perfect too. But it does pretty well, all things considered, and for other gripes I think most people here realize that this isn't really the time or place.

The forum, from my interpretation, is about providing guidance to candidates, parents and mids/cadets. Are you here to help kids out? Great! Then help them out. If you're not, then maybe this isn't where you should be posting.

Very well put. Thanks for posting.
 
For those of you following this thread, I have removed the last several posts that were on here. They were an foolish argument between posters and not relevant to this forum. Any further posting in the same vein will be dealt with by the moderators as forum infractions.

Stealth_81
 
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