Arab Prospective Law Students

[Rhymnoceros]

Salaam,
I'm half Palestinian and was born in Lebanon (the other half is Italian and Lebanese if you're wondering). I'm applying this cycle but I haven't decided where I'm going yet. There have to be more than three of us this cycle... where is everybody?

By the way, I've been wondering what other Arabs / Middle Easterners checked for ethnicity on their applications. It's been an ongoing question for me.

I checked either 'Decline to answer' or 'Other' on my apps and explained in my personal statement.  I'm mixed (part Arab, part European) and my statement was on the topic of identity. Most of the applications provided room in the race/ethnicity section to elaborate, and I wrote 'Please see personal statement'.

Just for purposes of disclosure, I realized I didn't say what I selected. For undergrad apps I checked white because many of the schools I applied to said that Middle Eastern students should select white. I disagreed with this, but i thought it was explicitly stated so anything else would have been a lie. For law school I declined to answer for every app. I was considering selecting other and elaborating, but i have a beef with racial descriptions in general. My personal statement dealt largely with my identity anyway.

[danmcd]

Hi guys,

Half Syrian-Sudani/Irish-American here, spent about 8 years in the Arab world in various places and the other 15 years around Africa/Asia/Europe. I plan on selling myself as a URM applicant...I'm really not all that comfortable with the ethnicity boxes either - I wouldn't mind talking about it in a personal statement or an interview, but the cold categorization of the limited tick-choices throws me off. Plus I'm never 100% confident that selling my Arab side is a good idea on an American application form...

[Rhymnoceros]

I plan on selling myself as a URM applicant...I'm really not all that comfortable with the ethnicity boxes either - I wouldn't mind talking about it in a personal statement or an interview, but the cold categorization of the limited tick-choices throws me off. Plus I'm never 100% confident that selling my Arab side is a good idea on an American application form...

That's true, but i think law schools will either look positively on Arab applicant, or impartially, but not negatively. And I figure if you're marked down a a minority in the FBI's books (which I'm sure you are) then why can't you claim your minority status in a beneficial situation? I don't think arab is usually considered URM, but you have a good case for it, or for being an international applicant potentially. I didn't check URM, but I had my reasons. Mainly I hate the check box system so much I didn't want to benefit from it, so this way I can keep criticizing it without anyone calling me a hypocrite. I don't hate AA itself, but the system whereby somene checks a box that allegedly summarizes the entirety of their struggles, achievments, etc, with no explanation seems pretty ridiculous to me. (But I'm not criticizing you, you're doing it the cool way with a PS as well.) Good luck to you!

[MUCH WILL BE ASKED]

 I am Palestinian/Cuban, and I will be checking hispanic, but I will discuss in my PS and in an addendum that I do think I am Diverse and definetely a minority of some sort. I also sometimes wonder if being Arab would affect us in the application process in a post-911 world. But I will discuss it in my apps. And as far as ethnicity I will check off the Hispanic box.

[MetsFan259]

I'm Lebanese....a senior in undergrad - don't know where I want to go.

Just so everyone knows - that means Phoenician not Arab.

[tintintin]

Hello everyone,

Not sure when someone last posted, but I thought I would add to the discussion. I am Palestinian, and currently in Palestine taking classes at Birzeit Uni. I graduated from an American university, but went to high school here. I'm not sure if I should select URM, however I have had financial instability my entire life and consider myself to be a minority. I will definitely select other as my "race", and clarify that I am a Palestinian Arab woman.
I also considered not discussing my Arab heritage and the trials and tribulations i've face as an Arab post-911, but realized that my identity will not change when I'm in law school, and that embracing it and making it public is really one of the most important aspects of character I have to defend myself. So, in short, I think we should all discuss our history and backgrounds and how we got to the idea of going to law school. What can we gain and give to the law profession as Arabs, and minorities in America, is a large factor of my personal statement.
Just some input, am eager to hear more comments...

[Rainmaker614]

Hey everyone! Half Lebanese/part native american and mexican here.....just wanted to say hello.

And MetsFan- You are differently ARAB. Seriously it's an insult to say your Lebanese and not Arab? What is that all about. Saying your from Ancient Phonecia is like an Iraqi saying their Mesopotamian? Kind of sad if someone is Arab and ashamed of it....

As for everyone writing about being a URM and arab.... this is not the case at all. I did a lot of research on the subject and being arab is considered caucasian under all accounts. Not only are you not a minority, but you are also nowhere near underrepresented. This is unfortunate, especially since post 9-11 most arabs go through more hardships based on race than most other people could handle. Regardless, you are in no position to benefit off that status. Your best chance is to use any hardships you encountered in a personal statement (told to me by an admissions advisor at Notre Dame and U of M).

[gylkeria]

Hi,

I am an Arab-American junior political science major, I am looking at different law schools currently. I was wondering if any of you had advice on law schools that have an Arab population or an Arab community in the area.

Thanks!