Personal Statements are titled “Personal” for a reason!
We are often required (by schools) to complete a testimony of our lives in a form of a personal statement. For some, this becomes an advantage as they are able to write about the numerous barriers that have molded their very own personality. Put simply, “how [our] world has shaped [our] dreams and aspirations” (UC Application Question) is a key inquiry in getting to know the face behind the applicant.
The only problem is that as an undocumented student we are still troubled by the legality of our biggest barrier, being “illegal”. When writing this portion of the application we ask ourselves if the very fact that it is “illegal” to be in this country makes it “illegal” to write it out on the application. Well, hopefully this helps…
Being that I am thinking of pursuing a graduate school route, I wanted to know if my most significant struggle was even legal to mention. I contacted Dr. Patrick Jennings (chair of the Sociology Department @ CSU Eastbay) and asked him if I had to worry about exposing such volatile information.
Here is his response:
“We would not voluntarily open a student’s file to anyone outside of the department. Members of the faculty and the staff have access to graduate student records. However, if a file was subpoenaed we would probably be completed to turn it over.”
Of course, this answer might not be able to be generalized to all personal statements, but it is a start! Best tactic to follow, contact the department chair!
Being undocumented is part of my personal statement. There is no other way of explaining under-achievement and gaping holes in the resume.
When it comes to educators, I would encourage people not to be afraid. If people judge you harshly due to your status and don’t want you at their academic institution, it really is their loss.
I’m not sure that contacting the department chair is the best tactic to follow, though that might be a starting point if you have an existing connection with that person.
Most university applications and personal statements are screened first by admissions representatives, and then if the app makes the initial cut they may be forwarded to the major department for final review. If you have questions about how your application and essay might be handled, the place to start at most schools would probably be the Admissions Department.
And Prerna makes a great point: If you get significant resistance from any school regarding your status, then that campus is probably not a good fit and you’d likely be happier if you look elsewhere.
I would not hide from your personal statement, especially since being undocumented tells the school so much about what a hardworking, hopeful, and accomplished individual you are despite obstacles you face daily.
And I third what Prerna and Robert said about the school’s resistance. It is really their loss.
You should know that there is FERPA (Family Educational and Privacy Act), which is a “federal law that protects the privacy of student records at educational institutions, including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities.” Your personal statement and what you say in there would be protected by this law.
FERPA would seem to protect educational institutions from having to turn over students’ records. But I read the following about FERPA from the US Department of Education website:
Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student’s education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
* School officials with legitimate educational interest;
* Other schools to which a student is transferring;
* Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
* Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
* Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
* Accrediting organizations;
* To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
* Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
* State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.
So, perhaps Dr. Jennings is right. They might have to turn over records if they were subpoenaed. What’s the likelihood of this happening though?
In any case, FERPA doesn’t protect undocumented students from being viewed negatively by faculty or staff because of their immigration status.
How about throwing your question (”Personal Statements: Should I be honest about my status?”) to E4FC’s Facebook Fanpage? http://www.facebook.com/e4fcfans. I’m sure you’ll get a lot of different responses, and hopefully an interesting discussion.
I’m also writing about my immigration status in my personal statement, and had second thoughts at first.
To echo what Robert said, it might be best to go directly with the dept. of admissions in terms of your application confidentiality.