Survey: 77% Of White Students Who Claim 'Minority' Status Are Accepted Into College

A survey from Intelligent found that 34 percent of white students who applied to colleges and universities falsely claimed they were a racial minority on their application.

The publication found that 81 percent of students who faked minority status did so to improve their chances of getting accepted. Fifty percent of students who lied said they did it to get minority-focused financial aid.

Most students, 48 percent, claimed to be Native American on their application. Thirteen percent falsely marked that they were Latino, while 10 percent falsely claimed to be Black. Nine percent of those surveyed lied that they were Asian or Pacific Islander.

For the most part, Intelligent found, these white students tended to get away with their lies. About 3 in 4, or 77 percent, of white applicants who faked minority status on their applications were accepted to those colleges.

“While other factors may have played a role in their acceptance, the majority of applicants who lied and were accepted (85%) believe that falsifying their racial minority status helped them secure admission to college,” Intelligent wrote in their report.