Confused junior here. When filling out college applications, what's the difference between race, ethnicity, and nationality? I want to make sure I understand these terms properly because there's a section on demographics and I don't want to mess it up. Any advice or simple explanations would be cool.
Hey there! No worries, this can be a bit confusing, but here's an easy way to understand it.
- Race usually refers to physical characteristics, like skin color, that people believe to be inherent and commonly grouped (e.g., Asian, Black, White, etc.).
- Ethnicity, on the other hand, relates more to cultural identity and can include language, religion, and traditions. For instance, someone might be racially white and ethnically Irish.
- Finally, nationality is about the country where you hold citizenship or were born in. For example, your nationality could be 'American' if you were born in the U.S., regardless of your race or ethnicity.
On college applications, it's important to be accurate, but also know that colleges are interested in the diverse perspectives you might bring to campus because of your unique background. If there's a race/ethnicity that you identify with or has significantly influenced your life experience, that's what you'll want to reflect on your application. Hope that helps!
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