Underrepresented Minority Status

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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ericwithakay
Posts: 5
Joined: Fri Mar 21, 2014 9:28 pm

Underrepresented Minority Status

Post by ericwithakay » Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:12 pm

I'm an underrepresented minority ( Hispanic ).

Just curious how this effects my graduate school applications ( If I let them know ). Will it help me significantly ? Should I apply to a more competitive schools because of this ?

I feel kind of weird asking this question, but I know it makes a difference, so let's all be honest.

AEP
Posts: 27
Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 6:18 pm

Re: Underrepresented Minority Status

Post by AEP » Sat Mar 22, 2014 12:37 am

Short answer, yes.

pichinko
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 1:42 pm

Re: Underrepresented Minority Status

Post by pichinko » Tue Mar 25, 2014 5:08 pm

I think it makes a difference, but it's up to you how much you emphasize it in your applications. All applications have a section that asks your ethnicity, but I don't think the admission committee is allowed to look at your answer (at least at public schools). If your name is clearly Hispanic, they will realize it, but you can also write about it in your essays or include any relevant information in your CV.

I'm half Hispanic, but I didn't emphasize it in my applications except when they asked for a personal statement about diversity (this was about a quarter of my applications), and my surname is not clearly Spanish. I think that being female might have helped me more as far as getting in. But my impression is that once you're accepted, minority/low-income/first-generation college status can help you win various fellowships.



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