Checking the race box.

• Author: Galanes, Philip
• Position: Ethical Dilemma - College application - Brief article

I'm a 17-year-old who is half-Hispanic and half-Caucasian. I'm not disadvantaged, so is it unethical for me to list my race as Hispanic on college applications?

--Anonymous, New York

ANSWER Colleges ask about the racial and ethnic backgrounds of their applicants not only to compensate them for presumed disadvantages, but also to assemble a diverse group of students. You could always write halfHispanic, half-Caucasian on the form. But if...