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• How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on November 1, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Table of contents

What is a diversity essay, identify how you will enrich the campus community, share stories about your lived experience, explain how your background or identity has affected your life, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Diversity essays ask students to highlight an important aspect of their identity, background, culture, experience, viewpoints, beliefs, skills, passions, goals, etc.

Diversity essays can come in many forms. Some scholarships are offered specifically for students who come from an underrepresented background or identity in higher education. At highly competitive schools, supplemental diversity essays require students to address how they will enhance the student body with a unique perspective, identity, or background.

In the Common Application and applications for several other colleges, some main essay prompts ask about how your background, identity, or experience has affected you.

Why schools want a diversity essay

Many universities believe a student body representing different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community.

Through the diversity essay, admissions officers want students to articulate the following:

• What makes them different from other applicants
• Stories related to their background, identity, or experience
• How their unique lived experience has affected their outlook, activities, and goals

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Think about what aspects of your identity or background make you unique, and choose one that has significantly impacted your life.

For some students, it may be easy to identify what sets them apart from their peers. But if you’re having trouble identifying what makes you different from other applicants, consider your life from an outsider’s perspective. Don’t presume your lived experiences are normal or boring just because you’re used to them.

Some examples of identities or experiences that you might write about include the following:

• Race/ethnicity
• Gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Nationality
• Socioeconomic status
• Immigration background
• Religion/belief system
• Place of residence
• Family circumstances
• Extracurricular activities related to diversity

Include vulnerable, authentic stories about your lived experiences. Maintain focus on your experience rather than going into too much detail comparing yourself to others or describing their experiences.

Keep the focus on you

Tell a story about how your background, identity, or experience has impacted you. While you can briefly mention another person’s experience to provide context, be sure to keep the essay focused on you. Admissions officers are mostly interested in learning about your lived experience, not anyone else’s.

When I was a baby, my grandmother took me in, even though that meant postponing her retirement and continuing to work full-time at the local hairdresser. Even working every shift she could, she never missed a single school play or soccer game.

She and I had a really special bond, even creating our own special language to leave each other secret notes and messages. She always pushed me to succeed in school, and celebrated every academic achievement like it was worthy of a Nobel Prize. Every month, any leftover tip money she received at work went to a special 509 savings plan for my college education.

When I was in the 10th grade, my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. We didn’t have health insurance, and what began with quitting soccer eventually led to dropping out of school as her condition worsened. In between her doctor’s appointments, keeping the house tidy, and keeping her comfortable, I took advantage of those few free moments to study for the GED.

In school pictures at Raleigh Elementary School, you could immediately spot me as “that Asian girl.” At lunch, I used to bring leftover fun see noodles, but after my classmates remarked how they smelled disgusting, I begged my mom to make a “regular” lunch of sliced bread, mayonnaise, and deli meat.

Although born and raised in North Carolina, I felt a cultural obligation to learn my “mother tongue” and reconnect with my “homeland.” After two years of all-day Saturday Chinese school, I finally visited Beijing for the first time, expecting I would finally belong. While my face initially assured locals of my Chinese identity, the moment I spoke, my cover was blown. My Chinese was littered with tonal errors, and I was instantly labeled as an “ABC,” American-born Chinese.

I felt culturally homeless.

Speak from your own experience

Highlight your actions, difficulties, and feelings rather than comparing yourself to others. While it may be tempting to write about how you have been more or less fortunate than those around you, keep the focus on you and your unique experiences, as shown below.

I began to despair when the FAFSA website once again filled with red error messages.

I had been at the local library for hours and hadn’t even been able to finish the form, much less the other to-do items for my application.

I am the first person in my family to even consider going to college. My parents work two jobs each, but even then, it’s sometimes very hard to make ends meet. Rather than playing soccer or competing in speech and debate, I help my family by taking care of my younger siblings after school and on the weekends.

“We only speak one language here. Speak proper English!” roared a store owner when I had attempted to buy bread and accidentally used the wrong preposition.

In middle school, I had relentlessly studied English grammar textbooks and received the highest marks.

Leaving Seoul was hard, but living in West Orange, New Jersey was much harder一especially navigating everyday communication with Americans.

After sharing relevant personal stories, make sure to provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your perspective, activities, and goals. You should also explain how your background led you to apply to this university and why you’re a good fit.

Include your outlook, actions, and goals

Conclude your essay with an insight about how your background or identity has affected your outlook, actions, and goals. You should include specific actions and activities that you have done as a result of your insight.

One night, before the midnight premiere of Avengers: Endgame , I stopped by my best friend Maria’s house. Her mother prepared tamales, churros, and Mexican hot chocolate, packing them all neatly in an Igloo lunch box. As we sat in the line snaking around the AMC theater, I thought back to when Maria and I took salsa classes together and when we belted out Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” at karaoke. In that moment, as I munched on a chicken tamale, I realized how much I admired the beauty, complexity, and joy in Maria’s culture but had suppressed and devalued my own.

The following semester, I joined Model UN. Since then, I have learned how to proudly represent other countries and have gained cultural perspectives other than my own. I now understand that all cultures, including my own, are equal. I still struggle with small triggers, like when I go through airport security and feel a suspicious glance toward me, or when I feel self-conscious for bringing kabsa to school lunch. But in the future, I hope to study and work in international relations to continue learning about other cultures and impart a positive impression of Saudi culture to the world.

The smell of the early morning dew and the welcoming whinnies of my family’s horses are some of my most treasured childhood memories. To this day, our farm remains so rural that we do not have broadband access, and we’re too far away from the closest town for the postal service to reach us.

Going to school regularly was always a struggle: between the unceasing demands of the farm and our lack of connectivity, it was hard to keep up with my studies. Despite being a voracious reader, avid amateur chemist, and active participant in the classroom, emergencies and unforeseen events at the farm meant that I had a lot of unexcused absences.

Although it had challenges, my upbringing taught me resilience, the value of hard work, and the importance of family. Staying up all night to watch a foal being born, successfully saving the animals from a minor fire, and finding ways to soothe a nervous mare afraid of thunder have led to an unbreakable family bond.

Our farm is my family’s birthright and our livelihood, and I am eager to learn how to ensure the farm’s financial and technological success for future generations. In college, I am looking forward to joining a chapter of Future Farmers of America and studying agricultural business to carry my family’s legacy forward.

Tailor your answer to the university

After explaining how your identity or background will enrich the university’s existing student body, you can mention the university organizations, groups, or courses in which you’re interested.

Maybe a larger public school setting will allow you to broaden your community, or a small liberal arts college has a specialized program that will give you space to discover your voice and identity. Perhaps this particular university has an active affinity group you’d like to join.

Demonstrating how a university’s specific programs or clubs are relevant to you can show that you’ve done your research and would be a great addition to the university.

At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to study engineering not only to emulate my mother’s achievements and strength, but also to forge my own path as an engineer with disabilities. I appreciate the University of Michigan’s long-standing dedication to supporting students with disabilities in ways ranging from accessible housing to assistive technology. At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to receive a top-notch education and use it to inspire others to strive for their best, regardless of their circumstances.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

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Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

What is the diversity question in a school application, and why does it matter when applying to leading programs and universities? Most importantly, how should you respond?

Diversity is of supreme value in higher education, and schools want to know how every student will contribute to it in their community. A diversity essay is an essay that encourages applicants with disadvantaged or underrepresented backgrounds, an unusual education, a distinctive experience, or a unique family history to write about how these elements of their background have prepared them to play a useful role in increasing and encouraging diversity among their target program’s student body and broader community.

In this post, we’ll cover the following topics: 

How to show you can add to diversity

Why diversity matters at school, seven examples that reveal diversity, how to write about your diversity, diversity essay example, want to ensure your application demonstrates the diversity that your dream school is seeking.

If you are an immigrant to the United States, the child of immigrants, or someone whose ethnicity is underrepresented in the States, your response to “How will you add to the diversity of our class/community?” and similar questions might help your application efforts. Why? Because you can use it to show how your background will add a distinctive perspective to the program you are applying to.

Download this sample personal background essay, and see how one candidate won over the adcom and got accepted into their top-choice MBA program.

Of course, if you’re not from a group that is underrepresented in your field or a disadvantaged group, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything to write about in a diversity essay.

For example, you might have an unusual or special experience to share, such as serving in the military, being a member of a dance troupe, or caring for a disabled relative. These and other distinctive experiences can convey how you will contribute to the diversity of the school’s campus.

You could be the first member of your family to apply to college or the first to learn English in your household. Perhaps you have worked your way through college or helped raise your siblings. You might also have been an ally to those who are underrepresented, disadvantaged, or marginalized in your community, at your previous school, or in an earlier work experience. 

As you can see, diversity is not limited to one’s religion, ethnicity, culture, language, or sexual orientation. It refers to whatever element of your identity  distinguishes you from others and shows that you, too, value diversity.

Admissions officers believe diversity in the classroom improves the educational experience of all the students involved. They also believe that having a diverse workforce better serves society as a whole.

The more diverse perspectives found in the classroom, throughout the dorms, in the dining halls, and mixed into study groups, the richer the discussions will be.

Plus, learning and growing in this kind of multicultural environment will prepare students for working in our increasingly multicultural and global world.

In medicine, for example, a heterogeneous workforce benefits people from previously underrepresented cultures. Businesses realize they will market more effectively if they can speak to different audiences and markets, which is possible when members of their workforce come from different backgrounds and cultures. Schools simply want to prepare graduates for the 21st century job market.

Adcoms want to know about your personal diversity elements and the way they have helped you develop particular character and personality traits , as well as the unusual experiences that have shaped you.

Here are seven examples an applicant could write about:

• They grew up with a strong insistence on respecting elders, attending family events, or learning their parents’ native language and culture.
• They are close to grandparents and extended family members who have taught them how teamwork can help everyone thrive.
• They have had to face difficulties that stem from their parents’ values being in conflict with theirs or those of their peers.
• Teachers have not always understood the elements of their culture or lifestyle and how those elements influence their performance.
• They suffered from discrimination and succeeded despite it because of their grit, values, and character.
• They learned skills from a lifestyle that is outside the norm (e.g., living in foreign countries as the child of a diplomat or contractor; performing professionally in theater, dance, music, or sports; having a deaf sibling).
• They’ve encountered racism or other prejudice (either toward themselves or others) and responded by actively promoting diverse, tolerant values.

And remember, it’s not just about who your parents are. It’s about who you are – at the core.

Your background, influences, religious observances, language, ideas, work environment, community experiences – all these factors come together to create a unique individual, one who will contribute to a varied class of distinct individuals taking their place in a diverse world.

Your answer to the diversity question should focus on how your experiences have built your empathy for others, your embrace of differences, your resilience, your character, and your perspective.

The school might well ask how you think of diversity or how you can bring or add to the diversity of your school, chosen profession, or community. Make sure you answer the specific question posed by highlighting distinctive elements of your profile that will add to the class mosaic every adcom is trying to create. You don’t want to blend in; you want to stand out in a positive way while also complementing the school’s canvas.

Here’s a simple, three-part framework that will help you think of diversity more, well, diversely:

• Identity : Who are you? What has contributed to your identity? How do you distinguish yourself? Your identity can include any of the following: gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, disability, religion, nontraditional work experience, nontraditional educational background, multicultural background, and family’s educational level.
• Deeds : What have you done? What have you accomplished? This could include any of the following: achievements inside and/or outside your field of study, leadership opportunities, community service, , internship or professional experience, research opportunities, hobbies, and travel. Any or all of these could be unique. Also, what life-derailing, throw-you-for-a-loop challenges have you faced and overcome?
• Ideas : How do you think? How do you approach things? What drives you? What influences you? Are you the person who can break up a tense meeting with some well-timed humor? Are you the one who intuitively sees how to bring people together? 

Learn more about this three-part framework in this podcast episode.

Think about each question within this framework and how you could apply your diversity elements to the classroom, your school, or your community. Any of these elements will serve as the framework for your essay.

Don’t worry if you can’t think of something totally “out there.” You don’t need to be a tightrope walker living in the Andes or a Buddhist monk from Japan to pass the diversity test!

And please remember, the examples I have listed are not exhaustive. There are many other ways to show diversity!

All you need to write successfully about how you will contribute to the rich diversity of your target school’s community is to examine your identity, deeds, and ideas, with an eye toward your personal distinctiveness and individuality. There is only one you .

Want our advice on how you can best show diversity?

Click here to sign up for a free consultation.

Take a look at this sample diversity essay, and pay attention to how the writer underscores their appreciation for and experience with diversity. 

When I was starting 11 th grade, my dad, an agricultural scientist, was assigned to a 3-month research project in a farm village in Niigata (northwest Honshu in Japan). Rather than stay behind with my mom and siblings, I begged to go with him. As a straight-A student, I convinced my parents and the principal that I could handle my schoolwork remotely (pre-COVID) for that stretch. It was time to leap beyond my comfortable suburban Wisconsin life—and my Western orientation, reinforced by travel to Europe the year before. 

We roomed in a sprawling farmhouse with a family participating in my dad’s study. I thought I’d experience an “English-free zone,” but the high school students all studied and wanted to practice English, so I did meet peers even though I didn’t attend their school. Of the many eye-opening, influential, cultural experiences, the one that resonates most powerfully to me is experiencing their community. It was a living, organic whole. Elementary school kids spent time helping with the rice harvest. People who foraged for seasonal wild edibles gave them to acquaintances throughout the town. In fact, there was a constant sharing of food among residents—garden veggies carried in straw baskets, fish or meat in coolers. The pharmacist would drive prescriptions to people who couldn’t easily get out—new mothers, the elderly—not as a business service but as a good neighbor. If rain suddenly threatened, neighbors would bring in each other’s drying laundry. When an empty-nest 50-year-old woman had to be hospitalized suddenly for a near-fatal snakebite, neighbors maintained her veggie patch until she returned. The community embodied constant awareness of others’ needs and circumstances. The community flowed!

Yet, people there lamented that this lifestyle was vanishing; more young people left than stayed or came. And it wasn’t idyllic: I heard about ubiquitous gossip, long-standing personal enmities, busybody-ness. But these very human foibles didn’t dam the flow. This dynamic community organism couldn’t have been more different from my suburban life back home, with its insular nuclear families. We nod hello to neighbors in passing. 

This wonderful experience contained a personal challenge. Blond and blue-eyed, I became “the other” for the first time. Except for my dad, I saw no Westerner there. Curious eyes followed me. Stepping into a market or walking down the street, I drew gazes. People swiftly looked away if they accidentally caught my eye. It was not at all hostile, I knew, but I felt like an object. I began making extra sure to appear “presentable” before going outside. The sense of being watched sometimes generated mild stress or resentment. Returning to my lovely tatami room, I would decompress, grateful to be alone. I realized this challenge was a minute fraction of what others experience in my own country. The toll that feeling—and being— “other” takes on non-white and visibly different people in the US can be extremely painful. Experiencing it firsthand, albeit briefly, benignly, and in relative comfort, I got it.

Unlike the organic Niigata community, work teams, and the workplace itself, have externally driven purposes. Within this different environment, I will strive to exemplify the ongoing mutual awareness that fueled the community life in Niigata. Does it benefit the bottom line, improve the results? I don’t know. But it helps me be the mature, engaged person I want to be, and to appreciate the individuals who are my colleagues and who comprise my professional community. I am now far more conscious of people feeling their “otherness”—even when it’s not in response to negative treatment, it can arise simply from awareness of being in some way different.

What did you think of this essay? Does this middle class Midwesterner have the unique experience of being different from the surrounding majority, something she had not experienced in the United States? Did she encounter diversity from the perspective of “the other”? 

Here a few things to note about why this diversity essay works so well:

• The writer comes from “a comfortable, suburban, Wisconsin life,” suggesting that her own background might not be ethnically, racially, or in other ways diverse.
• The diversity “points” scored all come from her fascinating  experience of having lived in a Japanese farm village, where she immersed herself in a totally different culture.
• The lessons learned about the meaning of community are what broaden and deepen the writer’s perspective about life, about a purpose-driven life, and about the concept of “otherness.” 

By writing about a time when you experienced diversity in one of its many forms, you can write a memorable and meaningful diversity essay.

Working on your diversity essay?

Want to ensure that your application demonstrates the diversity that your dream school is seeking? Work with one of our admissions experts and . This checklist includes more than 30 different ways to think about diversity to jump-start your creative engines.

Related Resources:

•  Different Dimensions of Diversity , a podcast episode • What to Do if You Belong to an Overrepresented Applicant Group • Med School Admissions Advice for Nontraditional Applicants: The Experts Speak

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College Essays

If you're applying to college, you've probably heard the phrase "diversity essay" once or twice. This type of essay is a little different from your typical "Why this college?" essay . Instead of focusing on why you've chosen a certain school, you'll write about your background, values, community, and experiences—basically, what makes you special.

In this guide, I explain what a diversity college essay is, what schools are looking for in this essay, and what you can do to ensure your diversity essay stands out.

What Is a Diversity Essay for College?

A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that focuses on you as an individual and your relationship with a specific community. The purpose of this essay is to reveal what makes you different from other applicants, including what unique challenges or barriers you've faced and how you've contributed to or learned from a specific community of people.

Generally speaking, the diversity college essay is used to promote diversity in the student body . As a result, the parameters of this essay are typically quite broad. Applicants may write about any relevant community or experience. Here are some examples of communities you could discuss:

• Your cultural group
• Your race or ethnicity
• Your extended family
• Your religion
• Your socioeconomic background (such as your family's income)
• Your sex or gender
• Your sexual orientation
• Your gender identity
• Your values or opinions
• Your experiences
• Your home country or hometown
• Your school
• The area you live in or your neighborhood
• A club or organization of which you're an active member

Although the diversity essay is a common admissions requirement at many colleges, most schools do not specifically refer to this essay as a diversity essay . At some schools, the diversity essay is simply your personal statement , whereas at others, it's a supplemental essay or short answer.

It's also important to note that the diversity essay is not limited to undergraduate programs . Many graduate programs also require diversity essays from applicants. So if you're planning to eventually apply to graduate school, be aware that you might have to write another diversity statement!

Diversity Essay Sample Prompts From Colleges

Now that you understand what diversity essays for college are, let's take a look at some diversity essay sample prompts from actual college applications.

University of Michigan

At the University of Michigan , the diversity college essay is a required supplemental essay for all freshman applicants.

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

University of Washington

Like UM, the University of Washington asks students for a short-answer (300 words) diversity essay. UW also offers advice on how to answer the prompt.

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the University of Washington.

Keep in mind that the UW strives to create a community of students richly diverse in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values, and viewpoints.

University of California System

The UC system requires freshman applicants to choose four out of eight prompts (or personal insight questions ) and submit short essays of up to 350 words each . Two of these are diversity essay prompts that heavily emphasize community, personal challenges, and background.

For each prompt, the UC system offers tips on what to write about and how to craft a compelling essay.

5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you've faced and what you've learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

If you're currently working your way through a challenge, what are you doing now, and does that affect different aspects of your life? For example, ask yourself, "How has my life changed at home, at my school, with my friends, or with my family?"

7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?

Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team, or place—like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community as you see fit; just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community?

Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? How did your actions benefit others, the wider community, or both? Did you work alone or with others to initiate change in your community?

Think about your community: How has it helped you? What have you done for it?

University of Oklahoma

First-year applicants to the University of Oklahoma who want to qualify for a leader, community service, or major-based scholarship must answer two optional, additional writing prompts , one of which tackles diversity. The word count for this prompt is 650 words or less.

The University of Oklahoma is the home of a vibrant, diverse, and compassionate university community that is often referred to as “the OU family.” Please describe your cultural and community service activities and why you chose to participate in them.

Duke University

In addition to having to answer the Common Application or Coalition Application essay prompts, applicants to Duke University may (but do not have to) submit short answers to two prompts, four of which are diversity college essay prompts . The maximum word count for each is 250 words.

We believe a wide range of personal perspectives, beliefs, and lived experiences are essential to making Duke a vibrant and meaningful living and learning community. Feel free to share with us anything in this context that might help us better understand you and what you might bring to our community .

We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about?

We recognize that “fitting in” in all the contexts we live in can sometimes be difficult. Duke values all kinds of differences and believes they make our community better. Feel free to tell us any ways in which you’re different, and how that has affected you or what it means to you.

Duke’s commitment to inclusion and belonging includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Feel free to share with us more about how your identity in this context has meaning for you as an individual or as a member of a community .

Pitzer College

At Pitzer, freshman applicants must use the Common Application and answer one supplemental essay prompt. One of these prompts is a diversity essay prompt that asks you to write about your community.

At Pitzer, five core values distinguish our approach to education: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student engagement, and environmental sustainability. As agents of change, our students utilize these values to create solutions to our world's challenges. Reflecting on your involvement throughout high school or within the community, how have you engaged with one of Pitzer's core values?

The Common Application

Many colleges and universities, such as Purdue University , use the Common Application and its essay prompts.

One of its essay prompts is for a diversity essay, which can be anywhere from 250 to 650 words. This prompt has a strong focus on the applicant's identity, interests, and background.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful, they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

ApplyTexas is similar to the Common Application but is only used by public colleges and universities in the state of Texas. The application contains multiple essay prompts, one of which is a diversity college essay prompt that asks you to elaborate on who you are based on a particular identity, a passion you have, or a particular skill that you've cultivated.

Essay B: Some students have an identity, an interest, or a talent that defines them in an essential way. If you are one of these students, then tell us about yourself.

In a diversity essay, focus on an aspect of your identity or cultural background that defines you and makes you stand out.

What Do Colleges Look for in a Diversity Essay?

With the diversity essay, what colleges usually want most is to learn more about you , including what experiences have made you the person you are today and what unique insights you can offer the school. But what kinds of specific qualities do schools look for in a diversity essay?

To answer this, let's look at what schools themselves have said about college essays. Although not many colleges give advice specific to the diversity essay, many provide tips for how to write an effective college essay in general .

For example, here is what Dickinson College hopes to see in applicants' college essays:

Tell your story.

It may be trite advice, but it's also true. Admissions counselors develop a sixth sense about essay writers who are authentic. You'll score points for being earnest and faithful to yourself.

Authenticity is key to writing an effective diversity essay. Schools want you to be honest about who you are and where you come from; don't exaggerate or make up stories to make yourself sound "cooler" or more interesting—99% of the time, admissions committees will see right through it! Remember: admissions committees read thousands of applications, so they can spot a fake story a mile away.

Next, here's what Wellesley College says about the purpose of college essays:

Let the Board of Admission discover:

• More about you as a person.
• The side of you not shown by SATs and grades.
• Your history, attitudes, interests, and creativity.
• Your values and goals—what sets you apart.

It's important to not only be authentic but to also showcase "what sets you apart" from other applicants—that is, what makes you you . This is especially important when you consider how many applications admissions committees go through each year. If you don't stand out in some positive way, you'll likely end up in the crapshoot , significantly reducing or even eliminating your chances of admission .

And finally, here's some advice from the University of Michigan on writing essays for college:

Your college essay will be one of nearly 50,000 that we'll be reading in admissions—use this opportunity to your advantage. Your essay gives us insights into your personality; it helps us determine if your relationship with the school will be mutually beneficial.

So tell us what faculty you'd like to work with, or what research you're interested in. Tell us why you're a leader—or how you overcame adversity in your life. Tell us why this is the school for you. Tell us your story.

Overall, the most important characteristic colleges are looking for in the diversity essay (as well as in any college essay you submit) is authenticity. Colleges want to know who you are and how you got here; they also want to see what makes you memorable and what you can bring to the school.

An excellent diversity essay will represent some aspect of your identity in a sincere, authentic way.

How to Write an Effective Diversity Essay: Four Tips

Here are some tips to help you write a great diversity college essay and increase your chances of admission to college.

#1: Think About What Makes You Unique

One of the main purposes of the diversity essay is to present your uniqueness and explain how you will bring a new perspective to the student body and school as a whole. Therefore, for your essay, be sure to choose a topic that will help you stand apart from other applicants .

For example, instead of writing about your ability to play the piano (which a lot of applicants can do, no doubt), it'd be far more interesting to elaborate on how your experience growing up in Austria led you to become interested in classical music.

Try to think of defining experiences in your life. These don't have to be obvious life-altering events, but they should have had a lasting impact on you and helped shape your identity.

#2: Be Honest and Authentic

Ah, there's that word again: authentic . Although it's important to showcase how unique you are, you also want to make sure you're staying true to who you are. What experiences have made you the person you are today? What kind of impact did these have on your identity, accomplishments, and future goals?

Being honest also means not exaggerating (or lying about) your experiences or views. It's OK if you don't remember every little detail of an event or conversation. Just try to be as honest about your feelings as possible. Don't say something changed your life if it really had zero impact on you.

Ultimately, you want to write in a way that's true to your voice . Don't be afraid to throw in a little humor or a personal anecdote. What matters most is that your diversity essay accurately represents you and your intellectual potential.

#3: Write Clearly, Correctly, and Cogently

This next tip is of a more mechanical nature. As is the case with any college essay, it's critical that your diversity essay is well written . After all, the purpose of this essay is not only to help schools get to know you better but also to demonstrate a refined writing ability—a skill that's necessary for doing well in college, regardless of your major.

A diversity essay that's littered with typos and grammatical errors will fail to tell a smooth, compelling, and coherent story about you. It will also make you look unprofessional and won't convince admissions committees that you're serious about college and your future.

So what should you do? First, separate your essay into clear, well-organized paragraphs. Next, edit your essay several times. As you further tweak your draft, continue to proofread it. If possible, get an adult—such as a teacher, tutor, or parent—to look it over for you as well.

#4: Take Your Time

Our final tip is to give yourself plenty of time to actually write your diversity essay. Usually, college applications are due around December or January , so it's a good idea to start your essay early, ideally in the summer before your senior year (and before classes and homework begin eating up your time).

Starting early also lets you gain some perspective on your diversity essay . Here's how to do this: once you've written a rough draft or even just a couple of paragraphs of your essay, put it away for a few days. Once this time passes, take out your essay again and reread it with a fresh perspective. Try to determine whether it still has the impact you wanted it to have. Ask yourself, "Does this essay sound like the real me or someone else? Are some areas a little too cheesy? Could I add more or less detail to certain paragraphs?"

Finally, giving yourself lots of time to write your diversity essay means you can have more people read it and offer comments and edits on it . This is crucial for producing an effective diversity college essay.

Conclusion: Writing Diversity Essays for College

A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that r evolves around an applicant's background and identity, usually within the context of a particular community. This community can refer to race or ethnicity, income level, neighborhood, school, gender, age, sexual orientation, etc.

Many colleges—such as the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and Duke—use the diversity essay to ensure diversity in their student bodies . Some schools require the essay; others accept it as an optional application component.

If you'll be writing diversity essays for college, be sure to do the following when writing your essay to give yourself a higher chance of admission:

• Think about what makes you unique: Try to pinpoint an experience or opinion you have that'll separate you from the rest of the crowd in an interesting, positive way.
• Be honest and authentic:  Avoid exaggerating or lying about your feelings and experiences.
• Write clearly, correctly, and cogently:  Edit, proofread, and get someone else to look over your essay.
• Take your time: Start early, preferably during the summer before your senior year, so you can have more time to make changes and get feedback from others.

With that, I wish you the best of luck on your diversity essay!

What's Next?

You understand how to write a diversity essay— but what about a "Why this college?" essay ? What about a general personal statement ? Our guides explain what these essays are and how you can produce amazing responses for your applications.

Want more samples of college essay prompts? Read dozens of real prompts with our guide and learn how to answer them effectively.

Curious about what a good college essay actually looks like? Then check out our analysis of 100+ college essays and what makes them memorable .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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How to Write a College Diversity Essay – Examples & Tips

What is a diversity essay for college?

If you are preparing for your college application, you have probably heard that you sometimes need to submit a “diversity essay,” and you might be wondering how this is different from the usual admission essay. A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that focuses on the applicant’s background, identity, culture, beliefs, or relationship with a specific community, on what makes an applicant unique, and on how they might bring a fresh perspective or new insights to a school’s student body. Colleges let applicants write such essays to ensure diversity in their campus communities, to improve everyone’s learning experience, or to determine who might be eligible for scholarships that are offered to students from generally underrepresented backgrounds. 

Some colleges list the essay as one of their main requirements to apply, while others give you the option to add it to your application if you wish to do so. At other schools, it is simply your “personal statement”—but the prompts you are given can make it an essay on the topic of diversity in your life and how that has shaped who you are.

To write a diversity essay, you need to think about what makes you uniquely you: What significant experiences have you made, because of your background, that might separate you from other applicants? Sometimes that is obvious, but sometimes it is easy to assume our experiences are normal just because we are part of a community that shares the same circumstances, beliefs, or experiences. But if you look at your life from the perspective of someone who is not part of that community, such as an admissions officer, they can suddenly be not-so-common and help you stand out from the crowd.

Diversity Essay Examples and Topics

Diversity essays come in all shapes and formats, but what they need to do is highlight an important aspect of your identity, background, culture, viewpoints, beliefs, goals, etc. You could, for example, write about one of the following topics:

• Your home country/hometown
• Your cultural/immigration background
• Your race/ethnicity
• Your unique family circumstances
• Your religion/belief system
• Your socioeconomic background
• Your disability
• Your sex/gender
• Your sexual orientation
• Your gender identity
• Your values/opinions
• Your experiences
• Your extracurricular activities related to diversity

In the following, we ask some general questions to make you start reflecting on what diversity might mean for you and your life, and we present you with excerpts from several successful diversity-related application essays that will give you an idea about the range of topics you can write about.

How does diversity make you who you are as a person or student?

We usually want to fit in, especially when we are young, and you might not even realize that you and your life experiences could add to the diversity of a student campus. You might think that you are just like everyone around you. Or you might think that your background is nothing to brag about and are not really comfortable showcasing it. But looking at you and your life from the point of view of someone who is not part of your community, your background, culture, or family situation might actually be unique and interesting. 

What makes admission committees see the unique and interesting in your life is an authentic story, maybe even a bit vulnerable, about your lived experiences and the lessons you learned from them that other people who lived other lifes did not have the chance to learn. Don’t try to explain how you are different from others or how you have been more privileged or less fortunate than others—let your story do that. Keep the focus on yourself, your actions, thoughts, and feelings, and allow the reader a glimpse into your culture, upbringing, or community that gives them some intriguing insights. 

Have a look at the excerpt below from a diversity essay that got an applicant into Cornell University . This is just the introduction, but there is probably no admissions officer who would not want to keep reading after such a fascinating entry. 

He’s in my arms, the newest addition to the family. I’m too overwhelmed. “That’s why I wanted you to go to Bishop Loughlin,” she says, preparing baby bottles. “But ma, I chose Tech because I wanted to be challenged.” “Well, you’re going to have to deal with it,” she replies, adding, “Your aunt watched you when she was in high school.” “But ma, there are three of them. It’s hard!” Returning home from a summer program that cemented intellectual and social independence to find a new baby was not exactly thrilling. Add him to the toddler and seven-year-old sister I have and there’s no wonder why I sing songs from Blue’s Clues and The Backyardigans instead of sane seventeen-year-old activities. It’s never been simple; as a female and the oldest, I’m to significantly rear the children and clean up the shabby apartment before an ounce of pseudo freedom reaches my hands. If I can manage to get my toddler brother onto the city bus and take him home from daycare without snot on my shoulder, and if I can manage to take off his coat and sneakers without demonic screaming for no apparent reason, then it’s a good day. Only, waking up at three in the morning to work, the only free time I have, is not my cup of Starbucks.  Excerpt from “All Worth It”, Anonymous, published in 50 Successful IVY LEAGUE Application Essays Fourth Edition, Gen & Kelly Tanabe, SuperCollege, 2017 .

How has your identity or background affected your life?

On top of sharing a relevant personal story, you also need to make sure that your essay illustrates how your lived experience has influenced your perspective, your life choices, or your goals. If you can explain how your background or experience led you to apply to the school you want to submit the essay to, and why you would be a great fit for that school, even better. 

You don’t need to fit all of that into one short essay, though. Just make sure to end your essay with some conclusions about the things your life has taught you that will give the admissions committee a better idea of who you now are—like the author of the following (winning) admissions essay submitted to MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) .

[…] I always thought that I had it the worst out of all my family members because I was never allowed to get anything lower than what my brother or a cousin had gotten in a class. My parents figured if they could do it, so could I, and if not on my own then with a little of their help. It was not until recently that I realized the truth in this. In my short life I have seen my father go from speaking no English to excelling in it. I have heard countless stories about migrant farmers such as Cesar Chavez and my grandfather who had nearly nothing, yet persisted and succeeded. […] When I had trouble speaking Spanish and felt like abandoning my native tongue, I remembered my mother and how when she came to the United States she was forced to wash her mouth out with soap and endure beatings with a ruler by the nuns at her school for speaking it. When I couldn’t figure out tangents, sines, and cosines I thought about my father and how it took him nearly a year to learn long division because he was forced to teach it to himself after dropping out and starting to work in the 4th grade. […] All these people, just from my family, have been strong role models for me. I feel that being labeled “underprivileged” does not mean that I am limited in what I can do. There is no reason for me to fail or give up, and like my parents and grandparents have done, I’ve been able to pull through a great deal. My environment has made me determined, hard working, and high aiming. I would not like it any other way. From “Lessons From the Immigration Spectrum”, Anonymous, MIT, published in 50 Successful IVY LEAGUE Application Essays Fourth Edition, Gen & Kelly Tanabe, SuperCollege, 2017 .

How will your diversity contribute to the college campus and community?

The admissions committee would like to know how your identity or background will enrich the university’s existing student body. If you haven’t done so, researching the university’s organizations and groups and what specific courses the university offers might be a good idea. If you are applying to a large public school, you could mention that you are looking forward to broadening not just your horizon but also your community. Or maybe your college of choice has a specialized program or student organization that you feel you will fit right into and that you could contribute to with your unique background.

Tailoring your answer to the university you are applying to shows that you are serious and have done your research, and a university is obviously looking for such students. If you can’t find a way to make your essay “match” the university, then don’t despair—showing the admissions committee that you are someone who already made some important experiences, has reflected on them, and is eager to learn more and contribute to their community is often all that is needed. But you also don’t need to search for the most sophisticated outro or conclusion, as the following excerpt shows, from an admission essay written by an applicant named Angelica, who was accepted into the University of Chicago . Sometimes a simple conviction is convincing enough. 

[…] The knowledge that I have gained from these three schools is something I will take with me far beyond college. My roommate, across-the-hall mates, and classmates have influenced my life as much as I hope to have impacted theirs. It is evident to me that they have helped me develop into the very much visible person I am today. I have learned to step outside of my comfort zone, and I have learned that diversity is so much more than the tint of our skin. My small mustard-colored school taught me that opportunity and success only requires desire. I would be an asset to your college because as I continue on my journey to success, I will take advantage of every opportunity that is available to me and make sure to contribute as much as I can, too. Now I am visible. Now I am visible. Now I am visible, and I want to be seen. From “No Longer Invisible” by Angelica, University of Chicago, published in 50 Successful IVY LEAGUE Application Essays Fourth Edition, Gen & Kelly Tanabe, SuperCollege, 2017 .

Tell stories about your lived experience

You might wonder how exactly to go about writing stories about your “lived experience.” The first step, after getting drawing inspiration from other people’s stories, is to sit down and reflect on your own life and what might be interesting about it, from the point of view of someone outside of your direct environment or community.

Two straightforward approaches for a diversity-related essay are to either focus on your community or on your identity . The first one is more related to what you were born into (and what it taught you), and the second one focuses on how you see yourself, as an individual but also as part of society.

Take some time to sit down and reflect on which of these two approaches you relate to more and which one you think you have more to say about. And then we’d recommend you do what always helps when we sit in front of a blank page that needs to be filled: Make a list or draw a chart or create a map of keywords that can become the cornerstones of your story.

For example, if you choose the “community” approach, then start with a list of all the communities that you are a part of. These communities can be defined by different factors:

• A shared place: people live or work together
• Shared actions: People create something together or solve problems together
• Shared interests: People come together based on interests, hobbies, or goals
• Shared circumstances: people are brought together by chance or by events

Once you have that list, pick one of your communities and start asking yourself more specific questions. For example: 

• What did you do as a member of that community? 
• What kinds of problems did you solve , for your community or together?
• Did you feel like you had an impact ? What was it?
• What did you learn or realize ? 
• How are you going to apply what you learned outside of that community?

If, instead, you choose the “identity” approach, then think about different ways in which you think about yourself and make a list of those. For example:

My identity is as a… 

• boy scout leader
• hobby writer
• babysitter for my younger siblings
• speaker of different languages
• collector of insightful proverbs
• Japanese-American
• other roles in your family, community, or social sub-group

Feel free to list as many identities as you can. Then, think about what different sides of you these identities reveal and which ones you have not yet shown or addressed in your other application documents and essays. Think about whether one of these is more important to you than others if there is one that you’d rather like to hide (and why) and if there is any struggle, for example with reconciling all of these sides of yourself or with one of them not being accepted by your culture or environment.

Overall, the most important characteristic admissions committees are looking for in your diversity essay is authenticity . They want to know who you are, behind your SATs and grades, and how you got where you are now, and they want to see what makes you memorable (remember, they have to read thousands of essays to decide who to enroll). 

The admissions committee members likely also have a “sixth sense” about whose essay is authentic and whose is not. But if you go through a creative process like the one outlined here, you will automatically reflect on your background and experiences in a way that will bring out your authenticity and honesty and prevent you from just making up a “cool story.”

Diversity Essay Sample Prompts From Colleges

If you are still not sure how to write a diversity essay, let’s have a look at some of the actual diversity essay prompts that colleges include in their applications. 

Diversity Essay Sample #1: University of California

The University of California asks applicants to choose between eight prompts (they call them “ personal insight questions “) and submit four short essays of up to 350 words each that tell the admission committee what you would want them to know about you . These prompts ask about your creative side (#2), your greatest talent (#3), and other aspects of your personality, but two of them (#5 and #7) are what could be called “diversity essay prompts” that ask you to talk about the most significant challenge you have faced and what you have done to make your community a better place .

The University of California website also offers advice on how to use these prompts and how to write a compelling essay, so make sure you use all the guidance they give you if that is the school you are trying to get into!

UC Essay prompt #5. Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?

Things to consider: A challenge could be personal, or something you have faced in your community or school. Why was the challenge significant to you? This is a good opportunity to talk about any obstacles you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from the experience. Did you have support from someone else or did you handle it alone?

UC Essay prompt #7. What have you done to make your school or your community a better place?  

Things to consider: Think of community as a term that can encompass a group, team, or place—like your high school, hometown, or home. You can define community as you see fit, just make sure you talk about your role in that community. Was there a problem that you wanted to fix in your community? Why were you inspired to act? What did you learn from your effort? 

Diversity Essay Sample #2: Duke University

Duke University asks for a one-page essay in response to either one of the Common Application prompts or one of the Coalition Application prompts, as well as a short essay that answers a question specific to Duke. 

In addition, you can (but do not have to) submit up to two short answers to four prompts that specifically ask about your unique experiences, your beliefs and values, and your background and identity. The maximum word count for each of these short essays on diversity topics is 250 words.

Essay prompt #1. We seek a diverse student body that embodies the wide range of human experience. In that context, we are interested in what you’d like to share about your lived experiences and how they’ve influenced how you think of yourself. Essay prompt #2. We believe there is benefit in sharing and sometimes questioning our beliefs or values; who do you agree with on the big important things, or who do you have your most interesting disagreements with? What are you agreeing or disagreeing about? Essay prompt #3. What has been your best academic experience in the last two years, and what made it so good? Essay prompt #4. Duke’s commitment to diversity and inclusion includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. If you’d like to share with us more about your identity in this context, feel free to do so here.

Duke University is looking for students with a variety of different experiences, backgrounds, interests, and opinions to make its campus community diverse and a place where ambition and curiosity, talent and persistence can grow, and the admissions committee will “consider what you have accomplished within the context of your opportunities and challenges so far”—make sure you tell them!

Diversity Essay Sample #3: University of Washington

The University of Washington asks students for a long essay (650 words) on a general experience that shaped your character, a short essay (300 words) that describes the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of your future university and allows you to submit additional information on potential hardships or limitations you have experienced in attaining your education so far. The University of Washington freshman writing website also offers some tips on how to (and how not to) write and format your essays.

Essay prompt [required] Tell a story from your life, describing an experience that either demonstrates your character or helped to shape it.

Short response prompt [required] Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. “Community” might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

Additional information about yourself or your circumstances [optional] You are not required to write anything in this section, but you may include additional information if something has particular significance to you. For example, you may use this space if:

– You have experienced personal hardships in attaining your education

– Your activities have been limited because of work or family obligations

– You have experienced limitations/opportunities unique to the schools you attended

The University of Washington’s mission is to enroll undergraduates with outstanding intellectual abilities who bring different perspectives, backgrounds, and talents to the campus to create a “stimulating educational environment”. The diversity essay is your chance to let them know how you will contribute to that.

Diversity Essay Sample #4: University of Michigan

At the University of Michigan, a diversity college essay that describes one of the communities (defined by geography, religion, ethnicity, income, or other factors) you belong to is one of two required essays that need to be submitted by all applicants, on top of the Common Application essay. 

Diversity essay prompt. Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong, and describe that community and your place within it.

The University of Michigan prides itself in “looking at each student as a whole package” and recruiting the most dynamic students, with different backgrounds, interests, and passions, into their college, not just the ones with the highest test scores. They also give consideration to applicants from currently underrepresented groups to create diversity on campus and enrich the learning environment for all students—if that sounds like you, then here is your opportunity to tell your story!

Frequently Asked Questions about Diversity Essays

What topics should i avoid in my college diversity essay.

Since the point of a diversity essay is to show the admissions committee who you are (behind your grades and resume and general educational background), there are not many topics you need to avoid. In fact, you can address the issues, from your own perspective, that you are usually told not to mention in order not to offend anyone or create controversy. 

The only exception is any kind of criminal activity, especially child abuse and neglect. The University of Washington, for example, has a statement on its essay prompt website that “ any written materials that give admissions staff reasonable cause to believe abuse or neglect of someone under the age of 18 may have occurred must be reported to Child Protective Services or the police. ”

What is most important to focus on in my diversity essay?

In brief, to stand out while not giving the admissions committee any reason to believe that you are exaggerating or even making things up. Your story needs to be authentic, and admissions officers—who read thousands of applications—will probably see right through you if you are trying to make yourself sound cooler, more mature, or more interesting than you are. 

In addition, make sure you let someone, preferably a professional editor, read over your essays and make sure they are well-written and error-free. Even though you are telling your personal story, it needs to be presented in standard, formal, correct English.

How long should a diversity essay be?

Every school has different requirements for their version of a diversity essay, and you will find all the necessary details on their admissions or essay prompts website. Make sure you check the word limit and other guidelines before you start typing away!

Prepare your college diversity essay for admission

Now that you know what a diversity essay is and how you find the specific requirements for the essays you need to submit to your school of choice, make sure you plan in advance and give yourself enough time to put all your effort into it! Our article How to Write the Common App Essay can give you an idea about timelines and creative preparation methods. And as always, we can help you with our professional editing services , including Application Essay Editing Services and Admission Editing Services , to ensure that your entire application is error-free and showcases your potential to the admissions committee of your school of choice.

For more academic resources on writing the statement of purpose for grad school or on the college admission process in general, head over to our Admissions Resources website where we have many more articles and videos to help you improve your essay writing skills.

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples

If you’ve started to research college application requirements for the schools on your list, you might have come across the “cultural diversity essay.” In this guide, we’ll explore the cultural diversity essay in depth. We will compare the cultural diversity essay to the community essay and discuss how to approach these kinds of supplements. We’ll also provide examples of diversity essays and community essay examples. But first, let’s discuss exactly what a cultural diversity essay is. 

The purpose of the cultural diversity essay in college applications is to show the admissions committee what makes you unique. The cultural diversity essay also lets you describe what type of “ diversity ” you would bring to campus.

We’ll also highlight a diversity essay sample for three college applications. These include the Georgetown application essay , Rice application essay , and Williams application essay . We’ll provide examples of diversity essays for each college. Then, for each of these college essays that worked, we will analyze their strengths to help you craft your own essays. 

Finally, we’ll give you some tips on how to write a cultural diversity essay that will make your applications shine. 

But first, let’s explore the types of college essays you might encounter on your college applications. 

Types of College Essays

College application requirements will differ among schools. However, you’ll submit one piece of writing to nearly every school on your list—the personal statement . A strong personal statement can help you stand out in the admissions process. 

So, how do you know what to write about? That depends on the type of college essay included in your college application requirements. 

There are a few main types of college essays that you might encounter in the college admissions process. Theese include the “Why School ” essay, the “Why Major ” essay, and the extracurricular activity essay. This also includes the type of essay we will focus on in this guide—the cultural diversity essay. 

“Why School” essay

The “Why School ” essay is exactly what it sounds like. For this type of college essay, you’ll need to underscore why you want to go to this particular school. 

However, don’t make the mistake of just listing off what you like about the school. Additionally, don’t just reiterate information you can find on their admissions website. Instead, you’ll want to make connections between what the school offers and how you are a great fit for that college community. 

“Why Major” essay

The idea behind the “Why Major ” essay is similar to that of the “Why School ” essay above. However, instead of writing about the school at large, this essay should highlight why you plan to study your chosen major.

There are plenty of directions you could take with this type of essay. For instance, you might describe how you chose this major, what career you plan to pursue upon graduation, or other details.

Extracurricular Activity essay

The extracurricular activity essay asks you to elaborate on one of the activities that you participated in outside of the classroom. 

For this type of college essay, you’ll need to select an extracurricular activity that you pursued while you were in high school. Bonus points if you can tie your extracurricular activity into your future major, career goals, or other extracurricular activities for college. Overall, your extracurricular activity essay should go beyond your activities list. In doing so, it should highlight why your chosen activity matters to you.

Cultural Diversity essay

The cultural diversity essay is your chance to expound upon diversity in all its forms. Before you write your cultural diversity essay, you should ask yourself some key questions. These questions can include: How will you bring diversity to your future college campus? What unique perspective do you bring to the table? 

Another sub-category of the cultural diversity essay is the gender diversity essay. As its name suggests, this essay would center around the author’s gender. This essay would highlight how gender shapes the way the writer understands the world around them. 

Later, we’ll look at examples of diversity essays and other college essays that worked. But before we do, let’s figure out how to identify a cultural diversity essay in the first place. 

How to identify a ‘cultural diversity’ essay

So, you’re wondering how you’ll be able to identify a cultural diversity essay as you review your college application requirements. 

Aside from the major giveaway of having the word “diversity” in the prompt, a cultural diversity essay will ask you to describe what makes you different from other applicants. In other words, what aspects of your unique culture(s) have influenced your perspective and shaped you into who you are today?

Diversity can refer to race, ethnicity, first-generation status, gender, or anything in between. You can write about a myriad of things in a cultural diversity essay. For instance, you might discuss your personal background, identity, values, experiences, or how you’ve overcome challenges in your life. 

However, don’t feel limited in what you can address in a cultural diversity essay. The words “culture” and “diversity” mean different things to different people. Above all, you’ll want your diversity essays for college to be personal and sincere. 

How is a ‘community’ essay different? 

A community essay can also be considered a cultural diversity essay. In fact, you can think of the community essay as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. However, there is a key difference between a community essay and a cultural diversity essay, which we will illustrate below. 

You might have already seen some community essay examples while you were researching college application requirements. But how exactly is a community essay different from a cultural diversity essay?

One way to tell the difference between community essay examples and cultural diversity essay examples is by the prompt. A community essay will highlight, well, community . This means it will focus on how your identity will shape your interactions on campus—not just how it informs your own experiences.

Two common forms to look out for

Community essay examples can take two forms. First, you’ll find community essay examples about your past experiences. These let you show the admissions team how you have positively influenced your own community. 

Other community essay examples, however, will focus on the future. These community essay examples will ask you to detail how you will contribute to your future college community. We refer to these as college community essay examples.

In college community essay examples, you’ll see applicants detail how they might interact with their fellow students. These essays may also discuss how students plan to positively contribute to the campus community. 

As we mentioned above, the community essay, along with community essay examples and college community essay examples, fit into the larger category of the cultural diversity essay. Although we do not have specific community essay examples or college community essay examples in this guide, we will continue to highlight the subtle differences between the two. 

Before we continue the discussion of community essay examples and college community essay examples, let’s start with some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts. For each of the cultural diversity essay prompts, we’ll name the institutions that include these diversity essays for college as part of their college application requirements. 

What are some examples of ‘cultural diversity’ essays? 

Now, you have a better understanding of the similarities and differences between the cultural diversity essay and the community essay. So, next, let’s look at some examples of cultural diversity essay prompts.

The prompts below are from the Georgetown application, Rice application, and Williams application, respectively. As we discuss the similarities and differences between prompts, remember the framework we provided above for what constitutes a cultural diversity essay and a community essay. 

Later in this guide, we’ll provide real examples of diversity essays, including Georgetown essay examples, Rice University essay examples, and Williams supplemental essays examples. These are all considered college essays that worked—meaning that the author was accepted into that particular institution. 

Georgetown Supplementals Essays

Later, we’ll look at Georgetown supplemental essay examples. Diversity essays for Georgetown are a product of this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you. 

You might have noticed two keywords in this prompt right away: “diverse” and “community.” These buzzwords indicate that this prompt is a cultural diversity essay. You could even argue that responses to this prompt would result in college community essay examples. After all, the prompt refers to the Georgetown community. 

For this prompt, you’ll want to produce a diversity essay sample that highlights who you are. In order to do that successfully, you’ll need to self-reflect before putting pen to paper. What aspects of your background, personality, or values best describe who you are? How might your presence at Georgetown influence or contribute to their diverse community? 

Additionally, this cultural diversity essay can be personal or creative. So, you have more flexibility with the Georgetown supplemental essays than with other similar diversity essay prompts. Depending on the direction you go, your response to this prompt could be considered a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or a college community essay. 

Rice University Essays

The current Rice acceptance rate is just 9% , making it a highly selective school. Because the Rice acceptance rate is so low, your personal statement and supplemental essays can make a huge difference. 

The Rice University essay examples we’ll provide below are based on this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? 

Breaking down the prompt.

Like the prompt above, this cultural diversity essay asks about your “life experiences,” “cultural traditions,” and personal “perspectives.” These phrases indicate a cultural diversity essay. Keep in mind this may not be the exact prompt you’ll have to answer in your own Rice application. However, future Rice prompts will likely follow a similar framework as this diversity essay sample.

Although this prompt is not as flexible as the Georgetown prompt, it does let you discuss aspects of Rice’s academic life and Residential College System that appeal to you. You can also highlight how your experiences have influenced your personal perspective. 

The prompt also asks about how you would contribute to life at Rice. So, your response could also fall in line with college community essay examples. Remember, college community essay examples are another sub-category of community essay examples. Successful college community essay examples will illustrate the ways in which students would contribute to their future campus community. 

Williams Supplemental Essays

Like the Rice acceptance rate, the Williams acceptance rate is also 9% . Because the Williams acceptance rate is so low, you’ll want to pay close attention to the Williams supplemental essays examples as you begin the writing process. 

The Williams supplemental essays examples below are based on this prompt: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry – a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives, and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an Entry? What perspective would you add to the conversation with your peer(s)?

Reflecting on the prompt.

Immediately, words like “diverse,” “backgrounds,” “perspectives,” “interests,” and “differentiate” should stand out to you. These keywords highlight the fact that this is a cultural diversity essay. Similar to the Rice essay, this may not be the exact prompt you’ll face on your Williams application. However, we can still learn from it.

Like the Georgetown essay, this prompt requires you to put in some self-reflection before you start writing. What aspects of your background differentiate you from other people? How would these differences impact your interactions with peers? 

This prompt also touches on the “student community” and how you would “add to the conversation with your peer(s).” By extension, any strong responses to this prompt could also be considered as college community essay examples. 

Community Essays

All of the prompts above mention campus community. So, you could argue that they are also examples of community essays. 

Like we mentioned above, you can think of community essays as a subcategory of the cultural diversity essay. If the prompt alludes to the campus community, or if your response is centered on how you would interact within that community, your essay likely falls into the world of college community essay examples. 

Regardless of what you would classify the essay as, all successful essays will be thoughtful, personal, and rich with details. We’ll show you examples of this in our “college essays that worked” section below. 

Which schools require a cultural diversity or community essay? 

Besides Georgetown, Rice, and Williams, many other college applications require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. In fact, from the Ivy League to HBCUs and state schools, the cultural diversity essay is a staple across college applications. 

Although we will not provide a diversity essay sample for each of the colleges below, it is helpful to read the prompts. This will build your familiarity with other college applications that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay. Some schools that require a cultural diversity essay or community essay include New York University , Duke University , Harvard University , Johns Hopkins University , and University of Michigan . 

New York University

NYU listed a cultural diversity essay as part of its 2022-2023 college application requirements. Here is the prompt:

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community.

Duke university.

Duke is well-known for its community essay: 

What is your sense of Duke as a university and a community, and why do you consider it a good match for you? If there’s something in particular about our offerings that attracts you, feel free to share that as well.

A top-ranked Ivy League institution, Harvard University also has a cultural diversity essay as part of its college application requirements: 

Harvard has long recognized the importance of student body diversity of all kinds. We welcome you to write about distinctive aspects of your background, personal development, or the intellectual interests you might bring to your Harvard classmates.

Johns hopkins university.

The Johns Hopkins supplement is another example of a cultural diversity essay: 

Founded in the spirit of exploration and discovery, Johns Hopkins University encourages students to share their perspectives, develop their interests, and pursue new experiences. Use this space to share something you’d like the admissions committee to know about you (your interests, your background, your identity, or your community), and how it has shaped what you want to get out of your college experience at Hopkins. 

University of michigan.

The University of Michigan requires a community essay for its application: 

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups defined by (among other things) shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe that community and your place within it. 

Community essay examples.

The Duke and Michigan prompts are perfect illustrations of community essay examples. However, they have some critical differences. So, if you apply to both of these schools, you’ll have to change the way you approach either of these community essays. 

The Duke prompt asks you to highlight why you are a good match for the Duke community. You’ll also see this prompt in other community essay examples. To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to reference offerings specific to Duke (or whichever college requires this essay). In order to know what to reference, you’ll need to do your research before you start writing. 

Consider the following questions as you write your diversity essay sample if the prompt is similar to Duke University’s

• What values does this college community have? 
• How do these tie in with what you value? 
• Is there something that this college offers that matches your interests, personality, or background?  

On the other hand, the Michigan essay prompt asks you to describe a community that you belong to as well as your place within that community. This is another variation of the prompt for community essay examples. 

To write a successful response to this prompt, you’ll need to identify a community that you belong to. Then, you’ll need to think critically about how you interact with that community. 

Below are some questions to consider as you write your diversity essay sample for colleges like Michigan: 

• Out of all the communities you belong to, which can you highlight in your response? 
• How have you impacted this community? 
• How has this community impacted you?

Now, in the next few sections, we’ll dive into the Georgetown supplemental essay examples, the Rice university essay examples, and the Williams supplemental essays examples. After each diversity essay sample, we’ll include a breakdown of why these are considered college essays that worked. 

Georgetown Essay Examples

As a reminder, the Georgetown essay examples respond to this prompt: 

As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Here is the excerpt of the diversity essay sample from our Georgetown essay examples: 

Georgetown University Essay Example

The best thing I ever did was skip eight days of school in a row. Despite the protests of teachers over missed class time, I told them that the world is my classroom. The lessons I remember most are those that took place during my annual family vacation to coastal Maine. That rural world is the most authentic and incredible classroom where learning simply happens and becomes exponential. 

Years ago, as I hunted through the rocks and seaweed for seaglass and mussels, I befriended a Maine local hauling her battered kayak on the shore. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I had found a kindred spirit in Jeanne. Jeanne is a year-round resident who is more than the hard working, rugged Mainer that meets the eye; reserved and humble in nature, she is a wealth of knowledge and is self-taught through necessity. With thoughtful attention to detail, I engineered a primitive ramp made of driftwood and a pulley system to haul her kayak up the cliff. We diligently figured out complex problems and developed solutions through trial and error.

After running out of conventional materials, I recycled and reimagined items that had washed ashore. We expected to succeed, but were not afraid to fail. Working with Jeanne has been the best classroom in the world; without textbooks or technology, she has made a difference in my life. Whether building a basic irrigation system for her organic garden or installing solar panels to harness the sun’s energy, every project has shown me the value of taking action and making an impact. Each year brings a different project with new excitement and unique challenges. My resourcefulness, problem solving ability, and innovative thinking have advanced under her tutelage. 

While exploring the rocky coast of Maine, I embrace every experience as an unparalleled educational opportunity that transcends any classroom environment. I discovered that firsthand experience and real-world application of science are my best teachers. In school, applications of complex calculations and abstract theories are sometimes obscured by grades and structure. In Maine, I expand my love of science and renourish my curious spirit. I am a highly independent, frugal, resilient Mainer living as a southern girl in NC. 

Why this essay worked

This is one of the Georgetown supplemental essay examples that works, and here’s why. The author starts the essay with an interesting hook, which makes the reader want to learn more about this person and their perspective. 

Throughout the essay, the author illustrates their intellectual curiosity. From befriending Jeanne and creating a pulley system to engineering other projects on the rocky coast of Maine, the author demonstrates how they welcome challenges and work to solve problems. 

Further, the author mentions values that matter to them—taking action and making an impact. Both facets are also part of Georgetown’s core values . By making these connections in their essay, the author shows the admissions committee exactly how they would be a great fit for the Georgetown community. 

Finally, the author uses their experience in Maine to showcase their love of science, which is likely the field they will study at Georgetown. Like this writer, you should try to include most important parts of your identity into your essay. This includes things like life experiences, passions, majors, extracurricular activities for college, and more. 

Rice University Essay Examples

The Rice University essay examples are from this prompt: 

The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspective would you contribute to life at Rice? (500-word limit)

Rice university essay example.

Like every applicant, I also have a story to share. A story that makes me who I am and consists of chapters about my life experiences and adventures. Having been born in a different country, my journey to America was one of the most difficult things I had ever experienced. Everything felt different. The atmosphere, the places, the food, and especially the people. Everywhere I looked, I saw something new. Although it was a bit overwhelming, one thing had not changed.

The caring nature of the people was still prevalent in everyday interactions. I was overwhelmed by how supportive and understanding people were of one another. Whether it is race, religion, or culture, everyone was accepted and appreciated. I knew that I could be whoever I wanted to be and that the only limitation was my imagination. Through hard work and persistence I put my all in everything that I did. I get this work ethic from my father since he is living proof that anything can be accomplished with continued determination. Listening to the childhood stories he told me, my dad would reminisce about how he was born in an impoverished area in a third world country during a turbulent and unpredictable time.

Even with a passion for learning, he had to work a laborious job in an attempt to help his parents make ends meet. He talked about how he would study under the street lights when the power went out at home. His parents wanted something better for him, as did he. Not living in America changed nothing about their work ethic. His parents continued to work hard daily, in an attempt to provide for their son. My dad worked and studied countless hours, paying his way through school with jobs and scholarships. His efforts paid off when he finally moved to America and opened his own business. None of it would have been possible without tremendous effort and dedication needed for a better life, values that are instilled within me as well, and this is the perspective that I wish to bring to Rice. 

This diversity essay sample references the author’s unique life experiences and personal perspective, which makes it one example of college essays that worked. The author begins the essay by alluding to their unique story—they were born in a different country and then came to America. Instead of facing this change as a challenge, the author shows how this new experience helped them to feel comfortable with all kinds of people. They also highlight how their diversity was accepted and appreciated. 

Additionally, the author incorporates information about their father’s story, which helps to frame their own values and where those values came from. The values that they chose to highlight also fall in line with the values of the Rice community. 

Williams Supplemental Essay Examples

Let’s read the prompt that inspired so many strong Williams supplemental essays examples again: 

Every first-year student at Williams lives in an Entry—a thoughtfully constructed microcosm of the student community that’s a defining part of the Williams experience. From the moment they arrive, students find themselves in what’s likely the most diverse collection of backgrounds, perspectives and interests they’ve ever encountered. What might differentiate you from the 19 other first-year students in an entry? What perspective(s) would you add to the conversation with your peers?

Williams college essay example.

Through the flow in my head

See you clad in red

But not just the clothes

It’s your whole being

Covering in this sickening blanket

Of heat and pain

Are you in agony, I wonder?

Is this the hell they told me about?

Have we been condemned?

Reduced to nothing but pain

At least we have each other

In our envelopes of crimson

I try in vain

“Take my hands” I shriek

“Let’s protect each other, 

You and me, through this hell”

My body contorts

And deforms into nothingness

You remain the same

Clad in red

With faraway eyes

You, like a statue

Your eyes fixed somewhere else

You never see me

Just the red briefcase in your heart

We aren’t together

It’s always been me alone

While you stand there, aloof, with the briefcase in your heart.

I wrote this poem the day my prayer request for the Uighur Muslims got denied at school. At the time, I was stunned. I was taught to have empathy for those around me. Yet, that empathy disappears when told to extend it to someone different. I can’t comprehend this contradiction and I refuse to. 

At Williams, I hope to become a Community Engagement Fellow at the Davis Center. I hope to use Williams’ support for social justice and advocacy to educate my fellow classmates on social issues around the world. Williams students are not just scholars but also leaders and changemakers. Together, we can strive to better the world through advocacy.

Human’s capability for love is endless. We just need to open our hearts to everyone. 

It’s time to let the briefcase go and look at those around us with our real human eyes.

We see you now. Please forgive us.

As we mentioned above, the Williams acceptance rate is incredibly low. This makes the supplemental essay that much more important. 

This diversity essay sample works because it is personal and memorable. The author chooses to start the essay off with a poem. Which, if done right, will immediately grab the reader’s attention. 

Further, the author contextualizes the poem by explaining the circumstances surrounding it—they wrote it in response to a prayer request that was denied at school. In doing so, they also highlight their own values of empathy and embracing diversity. 

Finally, the author ends their cultural diversity essay by describing what excites them about Williams. They also discuss how they see themselves interacting within the Williams community. This is a key piece of the essay, as it helps the reader understand how the author would be a good fit for Williams. 

The examples provided within this essay also touch on issues that are important to the author, which provides a glimpse into the type of student the author would be on campus. Additionally, this response shows what potential extracurricular activities for college the author might be interested in pursuing while at Williams. 

How to Write a Cultural Diversity Essay

You want your diversity essay to stand out from any other diversity essay sample. But how do you write a successful cultural diversity essay? 

First, consider what pieces of your identity you want to highlight in your essay. Of course, race and ethnicity are important facets of diversity. However, there are plenty of other factors to consider. 

As you brainstorm, think outside the box to figure out what aspects of your identity help make up who you are. Because identity and diversity fall on a spectrum, there is no right or wrong answer here. 

Fit your ideas to the specific school

Once you’ve decided on what you want to represent in your cultural diversity essay, think about how that fits into the college of your choice. Use your cultural diversity essay to make connections to the school. If your college has specific values or programs that align with your identity, then include them in your cultural diversity essay! 

Above all, you should write about something that is important to you. Your cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will succeed if you are passionate about your topic and willing to get personal. 

Additional Tips for Community & Cultural Diversity Essays

1. start early.

In order to create the strongest diversity essay possible, you’ll want to start early. Filling out college applications is already a time-consuming process. So, you can cut back on additional stress and anxiety by writing your cultural diversity essay as early as possible. 

2. Brainstorm

Writing a cultural diversity essay or community essay is a personal process. To set yourself up for success, take time to brainstorm and reflect on your topic. Overall, you want your cultural diversity essay to be a good indication of who you are and what makes you a unique applicant. 

3. Proofread

We can’t stress this final tip enough. Be sure to proofread your cultural diversity essay before you hit the submit button. Additionally, you can read your essay aloud to hear how it flows. You can also can ask someone you trust, like your college advisor or a teacher, to help proofread your essay as well.

Other CollegeAdvisor Essay Resources to Explore

Looking for additional resources on supplemental essays for the colleges we mentioned above? Do you need help with incorporating extracurricular activities for college into your essays or crafting a strong diversity essay sample? We’ve got you covered. 

Our how to get into Georgetown guide covers additional tips on how to approach the supplemental diversity essay. If you’re wondering how to write about community in your essay, check out our campus community article for an insider’s perspective on Williams College.

Want to learn strategies for writing compelling cultural diversity essays? Check out this Q&A webinar, featuring a former Georgetown admissions officer. And, if you’re still unsure of what to highlight in your community essay, try getting inspiration from a virtual college tour . 

Cultural Diversity Essay & Community Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

Your supplemental essays are an important piece of the college application puzzle. With colleges becoming more competitive than ever, you’ll want to do everything you can to create a strong candidate profile. This includes writing well-crafted responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay. 

We hope our cultural diversity essay guide helped you learn more about this common type of supplemental essay. As you are writing your own cultural diversity essay or community essay, use the essay examples from Georgetown, Rice, and Williams above as your guide. 

Getting into top schools takes a lot more than a strong resume. Writing specific, thoughtful, and personal responses for a cultural diversity essay, gender diversity essay, or community essay will put you one step closer to maximizing your chances of admission. Good luck!

CollegeAdvisor.com is here to help you with every aspect of the college admissions process. From taking a gap year to completing enrollment , we’re here to help. Register today to receive one-on-one support from an admissions expert as you begin your college application journey.

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Step by Step Guide To Write a Diversity Essay (Examples + Analysis)

What is a Diversity essay? 

First, let’s understand the diversity question in a school application, and more significantly, what is the value when applying to leading programs and universities?

A diversity essay is an essay that inspires applicants with minority backgrounds, unique experiences, special education, or bizarre family histories to write about how these factors will contribute to the diversity of their target school’s class and community.

Several schools have a supplemental essay prompt that requires students to speculate on their experiences and show how those experiences would enable them to add to the diversity of a college community.

For example, let’s look at Duke’s optional* diversity prompt:

(Optional) Duke University seeks a talented, engaged student body that embodies the wide range of human experience; we believe that the diversity of our students makes our community stronger. If you’d like to share a perspective you bring or experiences you’ve had to help us understand you better-perhaps related to a community you belong to, your sexual orientation or gender identity, or your family or cultural background we encourage you to do so. Real people are reading your application, and we want to do our best to understand and appreciate the real people applying to Duke. (250-word limit)

*While this prompt is optional, our team would not recommend you to treat this prompt as optional —it’s a huge opportunity to help yourself stand out from other candidates. 

Or Caltech’s:

The process of discovery best advances when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech's community? (Your response should range between 250-400 words.)

So, the question is, why do universities ask variations of this question? At the risk of repeating the above, universities appreciate a diverse student body for several reasons. 

One reason is the notion that a solid education includes encountering values, faiths, and perspectives that are different from your own (Caltech makes this fairly straightforward in its prompt mentioned above). 

Many academic fields, from marketing to history to medicine, are day by day realizing how diversity empowers creativity and understanding. The diversity essay is also another opportunity to show how you and a college fit together. 

One general is what exactly schools mean by “diversity.” While it can indicate things like religion, faith, ethnicity, or sexuality, those can be solid topics to write about, and diversity is limited. 

Open your mind, and then think—what perspective will you bring to college, particularly one that others cannot? 

How can you show that you add diversity?

If you are an immigrant to the U.S. or born to immigrants or someone whose ethnicity is a minority in the U.S., you may find your answer to this question crucial to your application effort. Why? Because you can use it to prove how your background will add to the mix of viewpoints at the program you are applying to.

Of course, if you’re not an under-represented minority and don’t fall into one of those categories, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have anything to write about.

If you are applying to a school and have an unusual or unique experience to share, like serving in the military, becoming part of a dance troupe, or caring for a disabled relative, use your knowledge to convey how you will bring diverse school’s campus.

You could be the first member of your family to apply to college;  you could have struggle your way through college, worked hard in poverty, or raised your siblings.

Diversity is not limited to one’s religion, culture, language, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. It’s an element of your identity that distinguishes you from others.

Going further, let’s talk about some

Do’s and Don’ts

Some do’s: .

- Think about how this helps the admission committee to understand more about who you are.

- Think about several ways you’re distinct from other people.

In numerous ways, you can approach diversity essays like you do “ community” prompts. 

To save some time and effort, consider writing a combined essay that can be used for prompts that think community and focus on diversity. 

Try to think in terms of identity and perspective (which often align with communities).

Some don’ts

- As I mentioned earlier, don’t assume that “difference” only applies to culture or social class.

There are numerous ways to define “difference.”

 - At all costs, avoid privilege clichés.

A common essay on diversity is like this: The writer watches a person on a street or bus, or train. They see the person, whose skin is of a different color than theirs, wears torn clothes or worn-out shoes. The writer expresses a feeling of disgrace and gratitude for their privileged position. They either help the person somehow and feel good, but also bad, or just neglect the person and feel bad or don’t feel anything. These kinds of stories have several problems: 

• In such a situation, the interaction is minimum, so compelling insights are improbable to occur. As a result, diversity essays often end up displaying a common theme along the lines of “I realized I have so much to be grateful for.”
• It’s crucial to come to recognize privilege. But understanding privilege in an essay like this runs the danger of showcasing blunt negative qualities.

One important thing to do is link the values you’ve developed 

Help readers see how these factors of diversity have shaped your values and insights. 

Step by step process to write the “Diversity” Essay 

Let’s look at two simple approaches for how you can write your diversity essay:

• If you belong to a community that embraces how you’ll contribute to the diversity of the campus, you can create your essay around your engagement with that community. 
• And, if there’s individuality or perspective that represents the diversity you’ll bring to campus, you can work on that also. 

1. First is the “Community” approach 

Step 1: Prepare a “communities” chart by posting all communities you’re a part of. Remember that communities can be defined by ...

• Place: Crowds of people who live, work, and have leisure time near one another
• Action: Crowds of people who bring change in the world by building, doing, or solving something together (Examples: Black Lives Matter, March for Our Lives)
• Interest: Associations coming together based on similar interests, skills, events, experiences, or expertise
• Circumstance: Gatherings brought together either by chance or external emergencies/situations

Step 2: Once you’ve picked a community, use the following exercise to develop your essay content. 

• What did you do in that community? (Important Tip: You can use active verbs like “designed” and “directed” to clarify your responsibilities.)
• What kinds of difficulties/ problems did you solve?
• What particular impact did you have?
• What did you learn (your skills, characteristics, values)? 
• How did you implement the lessons you learned in that community?

Don’t skip that step. It’s significant: it’s easy for students to write just so-so community essays if they don’t take the time to brainstorm specific content.

Step 3: Pick a structure (Narrative or montage).

Narrative Structure works fine for students who have faced a challenge in this community. Otherwise, you can use Montage Structure.

If you choose Narrative, you have to focus on answering the following three-question Structure: 

• What challenges did you face?
• How did you overcome those challenges?  
• What did you learn?

Go with the Montage Structure if you want to approach essays that don’t necessarily focus on a particular challenge.

2. Second is the Identity/Perspective approach 

List out diverse ways in which you identify. Again, think with an open mind. Here an open mind approach is much needed. For example, "I'm a ... writer, rock lover, Indian, dancer, feminist, etc." Try to name as many identities as you think you are. 

Then, in short, describe how these identities reveal different versions of you.

Is there an identity you haven’t spoken about so far in your application that's very important to you, or maybe one you've had a hard time with? If so, what have you found stimulating about it?

Regarding perspective: Talk about some unique experiences that have shaped you. For example, have your values clash with your family’s in complicated ways? Have you been raised differently? What has molded how you see the world and your role in it? (Remember that this can lead to excellent essays, but is a little harder, as “perspective” is a more abstract thing than “identity” or “community.”)

Again, Montage or Narrative Structure can work here.

Option for both approaches: As your prompt and its word count, think about adding some “Why us?” elements to the end of your diversity essay—even if the prompt doesn’t ask you to.

How you’ll contribute to the diversity on campus? Are there groups or communities that allow you to continue what you’ve already done? Or are you planning to start an organization? Express to your reader that you have got an idea about how you want to engage with the school community.

Diversity Essay Example 1

Let’s look at an example that takes the “community” approach:

When I joined the Durham Youth Commission, a group of students chosen to represent youth interests within local government, I met Miles. Miles told me his cousin’s body had been stuffed into the trunk of a car after he was killed by a gang. After that, my notion of normal would never be the same. 

A melting pot of ideologies, skins, socio-economic classes, faiths, and educations, the DYC is a unique collaborative enterprise. Each member adds to our community’s network of stories, that weave, bump, and diverge in unexpected ways. Miles talked about his cousin’s broken body, Witnessa educated us about “food deserts,” supervisor Evelyn Scott explained that girls get ten-day school suspensions for simply stepping on another student’s sneakers, and I shared how my family’s blending of Jewish tradition and Chinese culture bridges disparate worlds. As a person who was born in Tokyo, lived in London and grew up in the South, I realize difference doesn’t have to be an obstacle to understanding. My ability to listen empathetically helped us envision multifaceted solutions to issues facing 21st-century youth. 

My experience in this space of affirmation and engagement has made me a more thoughtful person and listener. I want to continue this effort and be the woman who both expands perspectives and takes action after hearing people’s stories. Reconciling disparate lifestyles and backgrounds in the Commission has prepared me to become a compassionate leader, eager to both expand perspectives and take collaborative action. 

Tips and Analysis

• Hook us, then keep us: We find that hook jolting every time we read i. But that’s the reason it’s effective. So while your hook doesn’t have to be as shocking and mysterious as this one, always spend some time researching options for ways to hook your reader. While the hook does a great job of hooking us, the body does a great job of keeping us engaged.

We get to see how the writer has explored various perspectives, making space for others to share, and tried to establish understanding by offering her own. The insights she gives are quick but effective, and she transitions perfectly into concentrating on how diversity has shaped her, and how she wants to continue engaging and participating in the future.

• Show your engagement: The way she described the final paragraph could be set depending on the phrasing of the prompt—some schools clearly ask how you’ll contribute to diversity on campus. For these prompts, remember to add some “why us”-like details, showing that you’ve found associations and opportunities at the school that inspires you. 
• Save yourself time: Use this essay for various prompts which ask about things like diversity or community, saving her hours of writing. As you brainstorm for your diversity prompts, think about how you can write one essay that can be used for all of them (with needed revisions to fit the prompt’s phrasing and word count).

Diversity Essay Example 2 (with analysis in the essay)

This one focuses more on perspective:

My whole family sits around the living room on a lazy Sunday afternoon when we suddenly hear sirens. Lots of sirens. Everyone stops. My dad peers out the window, trying to get a glimpse of the highway. My mom gets up and goes to the phone. After a few stressful rings, the person on the other line answers. My mom bursts out, “Is Josh ok?”

Great hook! We’re engaged by the questions this essay raises. Is Josh ok? Who is this Josh? Why are there is a lot of sirens?

Josh is my fourteen-year-old cousin, and he lives less than a mile from my house. Whenever we hear sirens, my mom will give their house a call or shoot my aunt a text, just in case. Josh was born with a syndrome that affected the formation of the bones of his head and face. As a result, his hearing, vision, breathing, and some of his brain structures are compromised. He’s unable to do athletics, his tracheostomy always provides a possibility of disaster, and an unwieldy head brace used to grace his head.

Here the writer gives context by describing who Josh is. He also defines “difference” with a few particular details.

Living so close to Josh, we have had the opportunity to interact daily. We go on vacations together, I drive Josh to school twice a week, at every holiday we either go down to their house or they come up to my family’s house, we play wiffle ball in the yard behind their house. One of my favorite activities is board games with him—Risk, Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, we play it all. Last Christmas, there were endless laughs when prompted by our fathers’ nostalgia, we constructed a slot car track and raced those miniature cars around tight turns and short straightaways. This game was perfect for Josh, as he could stay in a comfortable seat and still experience the speed and excitement that he is usually barred from.

In this section, the writer shows us how close he is to Josh, and the final sentence shows his sympathy and feeling. 

It goes without saying that Josh has not had an easy childhood. He has had to fight for his life in the hospital when his peers were learning how to multiply and divide in school or playing capture the flag on the beach. A large portion of his childhood has been arbitrarily taken from him. That is most obviously unfair.

Value: Empathy

At our high school, I see Josh every day walking from the second period to the third period, and every day I say hello and have a small conversation with him. One day I was walking with a few of my friends when I stopped to talk with him. During the conversation, I made a little joke at Josh’s expense. It wasn’t at all relating to his disability, but to something completely independent of that—specifically, his Instagram habits. My friends were horrified and chastised me as they saw it appropriate.

He’s setting up for the end and also raised a question: Why did he make the joke at Josh’s expense?

My friends didn’t understand. He is not some extremely delicate dandelion who falls apart at every breath that causes a slightly adverse situation. Everywhere he goes, he’s the most popular guy in the room; people flock to him, surround him, pity him, overwhelm him. All Josh wants is to be treated like any other person. He is my cousin, and he is my friend, so I treat him as such. We joke we make fun of each other, just as any other two friends do.

Insight! The writer treats Josh as he would treat any of his friends—like a normal human being.

Josh has proved to me that people with disabilities are exactly that—people. As if that needed proving. But it’s something that is too easily forgotten. It’s hard to see anything except the handicap. A person’s wheelchair or white cane inevitably trumps any other characteristic. It’s a natural human reaction, but it too often leads to the dehumanizing of disabled people. One of my favorite people on Earth has lived a life of disability. And he plays a mean game of Monopoly.

In the end, he connects the dots and provides a bit more understanding: Treating people differently because of their disability can be degrading.                          

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Diversity Essay – Step-By-Step Guide & Examples

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When applying to join a college, you may have to write a supplemental college essay detailing your personal life, including cultural background, identity, interests, and talents. Such an essay is known as a diversity essay. They provide an opportunity for the applicants to showcase their unique backgrounds. This article provides various guidelines on diversity essays and their importance. We will also share a few tips on how to write diversity essays.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

• 1 In a nutshell: Diversity essay 
• 2 Definition: Diversity essay
• 3 Why do schools want a diversity essay?
• 4 Dos and don’ts of a diversity essay
• 5 Diversity essay: How to enrich the campus community
• 6 How to write a diversity essay: Sharing experience
• 7 How to write a diversity essay: Impact on your life

In a nutshell: Diversity essay  

• A diversity essay enables the college admissions committee to gain an in-depth understanding of your unique background, experiences, and motivations.
• When writing the essay, use specific examples to highlight your viewpoint.
• The essay should concentrate on how your diverse experiences have influenced your life and academic decisions. It should demonstrate how you can benefit the campus community.
• A diversity essay should be authentic and truthful.
• Proofreading and reviewing your essay for errors should be done before submitting it. They can also help you evaluate it for clarity and coherence.

Definition: Diversity essay

Diversity essays are usually short and reflective essays with a length limit of 500 words or fewer. They are often necessary for financial aid, grant, and scholarship applications. They may also be a requirement when applying for college and university admissions.

It is a personal statement or essay focusing on diversity, particularly in an academic context. It also aims to draw attention to your distinctive background, experiences, and perspectives, which set you apart from other applicants. Furthermore, the essay demonstrates and provides evidence of your potential to add value to a diverse community. Many colleges and universities use diversity essay prompts to inform admission decisions and eliminate biases. Here are three examples of such essay prompts:

• Reflect on a time when you advocated for equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Applicants should submit a statement explaining how their admission to the college will contribute to a culture of inclusion and campus diversity.
• Give an example of a time when you felt disconnected from a community or group. What did you learn from the experience, and how did you handle it?

Why do schools want a diversity essay?

Admissions officers may require diversity essays to ensure a diverse student body.

• To understand how your unique experiences and background can contribute to the diversity of the campus community and enrich learning experiences.
• To evaluate your capacity for reflective writing about your experiences and viewpoints.
• To test your ability to communicate concisely and effectively.

Dos and don’ts of a diversity essay

Here are some tips on what to do and what to avoid when writing a diversity essay.

• Be authentic and truthful. Write about your genuine background, experiences, and viewpoints.
• Keep the focus on you and your strengths. Use concrete examples to support your points.
• Make a connection in your essay between your values and the objectives of your target institution, highlighting how your application will benefit all parties.
• It is important to emphasize your individual experiences to stand out. Focus on showcasing your qualities.
• Use clear and concise language.
• Avoid focusing too much on your challenges and struggles.
• Avoid writing generic essays that feature clichés and stereotypes.
• Avoid using complex jargon and fancy terminologies to impress the reader.

Diversity essay: How to enrich the campus community

Because of your unique background, experiences, and perspectives, you can impact the campus community in various ways. Here are some examples of identities or experiences you can write about in a diversity essay.

• Belief systems and religion
• Family circumstances
• Gender and sexuality
• Living with a disability
• Nationality and race
• Socioeconomic status
• Sporting activities and talents

How to write a diversity essay: Sharing experience

Authentic stories are crucial as they allow others to understand your ambitions, experiences, and viewpoints.

Focus lies on yourself

It is essential to keep the focus on you when writing about your background, identity, and experiences. Doing so lets the reader comprehend your perspective and deduce why you stand out. Here is an exemplary text excerpt that demonstrates this step.

Sharing own experience

In a diversity essay, it is critical to emphasize how experiences have affected your perspective and promoted your personal development. The following is an exemplary text excerpt.

“The teaching experience I gained in Texas taught me the problems and opportunities of managing a multiethnic classroom. I had to learn how to keep all the students involved in classroom discussions. The experience taught me how to create space for diversity, allowing students to express their tentative but critical perspectives.”

“My approach to teaching is grounded in my experiences during my first year as a high school teacher. The experiences taught me to make teaching fun and show my students that I cared about their learning. I also learned to be creative and try different techniques, especially to reach the students who sat at the back of the class.”

How to write a diversity essay: Impact on your life

In addition to your background, identity, and experiences, a diversity essay should include your outlook, actions, and goals toward enhancing diversity and inclusion.

Outlook, actions, and goals

Your outlook reflects your viewpoint on diversity, and your actions show the steps taken to address that perspective. Your objectives, on the other hand, demonstrate your long-term strategy for encouraging diversity. For example:

Adjust your essay to the university

Different universities may have different values and priorities when it comes to diversity. As a result, you may have to adjust your essay to match the requirements. Here is an example:

“I know that being an architect does not mean just being successful in constructing structures. At Institution A, I mentor a female minority student to help her succeed in her undergraduate architecture degree. I also hope to take on another mentee next year to guide them in their career.”

“I believe University ABC would offer me excellent training. After finding its reputable reviews in the KLM Report, I visited the university’s website for more information. I also contacted X, who earned their graduate degree in marketing from your university, and current business undergraduate student Y, to ask about their experiences. They both spoke highly about the institution and the lecturers.”

What is a diversity essay?

It is a brief and concise essay to supplement your college application. It helps the admissions committee understand your unique background, experiences, motivations, and viewpoints.

Is it necessary to include specific examples in a diversity essay?

Yes, it is. Including examples in your essay can make it more convincing and enhance the quality of your application. It is important to ensure that the text is free of any spelling, grammar, or punctuation errors.

What should I include in a diversity essay?

You can provide details about how your personal experiences impact your outlook, activities, and objectives. You should also give reasons for your application and elaborate on why you are a suitable fit.

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7 Great Diversity Essay Examples and Why They Worked

Supplemental "diversity" or "community" essays are becoming increasingly popular components of college and university applications. A diversity essay allows you to highlight how your individual circumstances, values, traditions, or beliefs could contribute to the vibrant mix of cultures on a college campus.

The importance of the diversity essay lies in its ability to showcase aspects of your identity that may not be fully captured elsewhere in your application . It provides a platform for you to express your authenticity, highlight any obstacles or challenges you've overcome, and demonstrate how your unique viewpoints could enrich the learning environment. 

This trend is in part driven by institutions' heightened efforts to increase the diversity of their student bodies, as many elite schools have historically favored wealthy and/or white applicants. These diversity essays provide a valuable opportunity for students to give context about their identity and background, which supports colleges' missions of fostering more inclusive campus environments.

The push for diversity essays has been compounded  by the recent Supreme Court decision ruling affirmative action policies unconstitutional. With this ruling blocking colleges from directly considering an applicant's race or ethnicity in admissions decisions, many institutions have turned to supplemental essays as an alternative way to gauge how a prospective student's unique experiences and perspectives could contribute to a richly diverse student body. While not explicitly factoring racial or ethnic backgrounds into admissions, compelling diversity essays enable colleges to indirectly account for the varied identities and circumstances that applicants would bring to enrich the campus community.

However, even students who do not hold identities historically underrepresented at colleges, or face discrimination, are encouraged to approach the diversity essay thoughtfully. These essays allow all applicants to shed light on their individualized experiences that could add meaningful value to the institution's diversity and culture. Ultimately, colleges aim to curate an incoming class of students whose collective array of backgrounds fosters an environment of mutual understanding, intellectual growth, and cross-cultural exchange.

In this blog, we’ll walk through 7 examples of strong diversity essays, and give a brief discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each one. 

Note that for the sake of concision, only the first 150-250 words of each essay is included in the article. You can find links to the full text of each essay at the bottom of the page!

1. Finding My Voice (Hopkins)

I looked up and flinched slightly. There were at least sixty of them, far more than expected. I had thirty weeks to teach them the basics of public speaking. Gritting my teeth, I split my small group of tutors among the crowd and sat down for an impromptu workshop with the eighth graders. They were inexperienced, monotone, and quiet. In other words, they reminded me of myself…

I was born with a speech impediment that weakened my mouth muscles. My speech was garbled and incomprehensible. Understandably, I grew up quiet. I tried my best to blend in and give the impression I was silent by choice. I joined no clubs in primary school, instead preferring isolation. It took six years of tongue twisters and complicated mouth contortions in special education classes for me to produce the forty-four sounds of the English language.

This essay is highly effective in several ways. The author opens with a vivid, engaging anecdote that immediately draws the reader in and provides context for the essay's overarching theme of finding one's voice. The personal story of struggling with a speech impediment as a child and overcoming insecurities to become a confident public speaker on the debate team is powerful and memorable. The essay’s beginning, where Jerry is faced with the daunting task of teaching public speaking to a large group of eighth graders, is reminiscent of his own struggles with communication.  This scene immediately captures the reader's attention and establishes a connection between Jerry's personal journey and the theme of the essay.

Throughout the essay, Jerry skillfully weaves together his experiences of overcoming a speech impediment and finding his confidence through participation in the debate team. He candidly reflects on the challenges he faced, such as stuttering and feeling like a "deer in the headlights," and how he persevered through practice and determination. By sharing specific anecdotes, such as watching upperclassmen and adapting his speaking style, Jerry demonstrates his growth and development over time.

The continued arc of the essay conveys the broader significance of Jerry's journey by highlighting how his newfound confidence extended beyond the debate team to his interactions in school and leadership roles. Through his own experiences, Jerry founded a program to help other students overcome their insecurities and find their voices, thereby paying forward the empowerment he received. The conclusion nicely ties back to the introduction and leaves the reader with a positive, uplifting sense of the author's journey and values.

One potential area for improvement could be spending slightly more time underscoring specific insights, challenges, or ways this experience shaped the author's goals and worldview could make the essay even more impactful for admissions officers evaluating the author's ability to contribute to a diverse community.

2. Protecting the Earth

I never understood the power of community until I left home to join seven strangers in the Ecuadorian rainforest. Although we flew in from distant corners of the U.S., we shared a common purpose: immersing ourselves in our passion for protecting the natural world.

Back home in my predominantly conservative suburb, my neighbors had brushed off environmental concerns. My classmates debated the feasibility of Trump’s wall, not the deteriorating state of our planet. Contrastingly, these seven strangers delighted in bird-watching, brightened at the mention of medicinal tree sap, and understood why I once ran across a four-lane highway to retrieve discarded beer cans.

Their histories barely resembled mine, yet our values aligned intimately. We did not hesitate to joke about bullet ants, gush about the versatility of tree bark, or discuss the destructive consequences of materialism. Together, we let our inner tree-huggers run free.

This essay captures the transformative power of community and shared values through the author's experience in the Ecuadorian rainforest. The opening sets a vivid scene, drawing the reader into the narrator's journey of joining a diverse group of strangers united by their passion for environmental conservation. By contrasting the indifference of their conservative suburban community with the shared purpose and enthusiasm of their newfound companions, the essay immediately establishes a theme of community and belonging. The examples of the group's enthusiasm and "inner tree-huggers" bring an authentic voice to the narrative.

In the body of the essay, the author skillfully portrays the camaraderie and mutual support within the group, despite their diverse backgrounds . The shared experiences of bird-watching, discussions about medicinal tree sap, and collective efforts towards environmental advocacy highlight the strength of their bond and the alignment of their values. Through anecdotes and dialogue, the author effectively conveys the sense of empowerment and inspiration derived from being part of such a community.

The essay additionally conveys the personal growth and transformation experienced by the author as a result of their time in the rainforest community.  The realization that they can make a difference in the world, coupled with a newfound sense of purpose and determination, serves as a powerful conclusion to the narrative. The essay communicates the importance of community in shaping one's beliefs, values, and aspirations, while also highlighting the potential for individual agency and impact.

Where the essay could be strengthened is providing more insight into how this experience will shape the author's future contributions to building and leading communities. While it's impactful to convey the determination instilled to devote one's life to environmental advocacy, expanding on the specific ways the author hopes to foster community around this work would add depth. Additionally, reflecting on the personal growth sparked by stepping outside one's insular worldview could highlight the importance of diversity of perspectives.  Overall, however, this is a strong essay that captures the power of an eye-opening experience bonding with others over shared values and passions.

3. Activism (Rochester)

To Nigerians,

It’s been eight years since we’ve been subjected to the tyranny of bad governance. Our medical systems have been destroyed, economy devaluated, and freedom of speech banished. But we need not worry for long. Just 5 years left!

By 2027, I will have explored the strategies behind successful revolutions in Prof. Meguid’s Introduction to Comparative Politics Class ( PSCI101) in my world politics cluster, equipping me to successfully lead us through the revolution we’ve eagerly awaited and install a political system that will ensure our happiness. With the help of the Greene Center, I will have gained practical experience of the biomedical engineering career field by interning at Corning’s biochemical department, enabling me to contribute to the rebuilding of our medical system. I will have developed a Parkinson-stabilizing device from my experience analyzing human motion with MATLAB in Professor Buckley’s BME 201-P class. I hope to later extend this device to cater for poliomyelitis, a disease that has plagued us since 1982. I will have strengthened my ability to put corruption under check through music by developing my soprano voice at Vocal point.

This essay, earning the author admission to the University of Rochester, blends a personal narrative with a vision for the future, demonstrating the author's determination to address the challenges faced by Nigeria through education and practical experience. The author begins by painting a stark picture of the current state of governance in Nigeria, highlighting the systemic issues that have plagued the country for years. This sets the stage for the author's ambitious plan to enact change within their homeland.

The author's strategic approach to addressing these issues is given a college admissions focus by outlining their academic and professional goals at the University of Rochester.  By detailing specific courses, internships, and extracurricular activities, the author demonstrates a clear path towards acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to lead a revolution and contribute to rebuilding Nigeria's medical system. This strategic planning reflects the author's commitment to effecting tangible change and underscores their preparedness for the challenges ahead.

To further strengthen its impact, the author could provide more context or examples of their previous activism or engagement with Nigerian issues, with clear links between the specific experiences and opportunities at the University of Rochester and their goals. 

4. Taking Care of Siblings (Cornell)

He’s in my arms, the newest addition to the family. I’m too overwhelmed. “That’s why I wanted you to go to Bishop Loughlin,” she says, preparing baby bottles. “But ma, I chose Tech because I wanted to be challenged.” “Well, you’re going to have to deal with it,” she replies, adding, “Your aunt watched you when she was in high school.” “But ma, there are three of them. It’s hard!” Returning home from a summer program that cemented intellectual and social independence to find a new baby was not exactly thrilling. Add him to the toddler and seven-year-old sister I have and there’s no wonder why I sing songs from Blue’s Clues and The Backyardigans instead of sane seventeen-year-old activities. It’s never been simple; as a female and the oldest, I’m to significantly rear the children and clean up the shabby apartment before an ounce of pseudo freedom reaches my hands. If I can manage to get my toddler brother onto the city bus and take him home from daycare without snot on my shoulder, and if I can manage to take off his coat and sneakers without demonic screaming for no apparent reason, then it’s a good day. Only, waking up at three in the morning to work, the only free time I have, is not my cup of Starbucks. 

The opening scene of the essay, where the author holds their newest sibling while their mother prepares baby bottles, immediately sets the tone for the essay and introduces the central theme of familial responsibility and sacrifice.

The author candidly reflects on the challenges of balancing their familial obligations with their desire for personal growth and independence.  The author's frustration and sense of overwhelm are palpable as they navigate the demands of caring for multiple siblings while also trying to pursue their own goals and aspirations. The contrast between the author's responsibilities as the oldest sibling and their longing for "sane seventeen-year-old activities" effectively highlights the tension between duty and personal desires.

The message of the essay effectively communicates the author's resilience and determination in the face of adversity.  Despite the challenges they face, the author demonstrates a sense of agency and resourcefulness, such as waking up at three in the morning to work and finding moments of freedom amidst their responsibilities. This resilience reflects the author's inner strength and determination to overcome obstacles and pursue their dreams.

5. East Asian Bibliophile / Not “Black Enough”

Growing up, my world was basketball. My summers were spent between the two solid black lines. My skin was consistently tan in splotches and ridden with random scratches. My wardrobe consisted mainly of track shorts, Nike shoes, and tournament t-shirts. Gatorade and Fun Dip were my pre-game snacks. The cacophony of rowdy crowds, ref whistles, squeaky shoes, and scoreboard buzzers was a familiar sound. I was the team captain of almost every team I played on—familiar with the Xs and Os of plays, commander of the court, and the coach’s right hand girl.

But that was only me on the surface.

Deep down I was an East-Asian influenced bibliophile and a Young Adult fiction writer.

Hidden in the cracks of a blossoming collegiate level athlete was a literary fiend. I devoured books in the daylight. I crafted stories at night time. After games, after practice, after conditioning I found nooks of solitude. Within these moments, I became engulfed in a world of my own creation. Initially, I only read young adult literature, but I grew to enjoy literary fiction and self-help: Kafka, Dostoevsky, Branden, Csikszentmihalyi. I expanded my bubble to Google+ critique groups, online discussion groups, blogs, writing competitions and clubs. I wrote my first novel in fifth grade, my second in seventh grade, and started my third in ninth grade. Reading was instinctual. Writing was impulsive.

In this essay, the complexities of identity and personal growth are presented through a multi-dimensional portrait of the author's cultural experiences and interests. The opening vividly describes the author's immersion in the world of basketball, showcasing their athleticism and leadership on the court . The essay quickly moves into substantive analysis, revealing the author's passion for literature and writing, as well as their deep connection to East Asian culture and philosophy.

Through anecdotes and reflections, the author skillfully juxtaposes their outward persona as an athlete with their internal world as a bibliophile and writer. This contrast highlights the complexity of identity and challenges stereotypes, demonstrating that individuals can possess a range of interests and talents beyond societal expectations. The author's journey of self-discovery, from devouring young adult literature to emulating authors like Haruki Murakami, adds depth to the narrative and underscores their intellectual curiosity and growth.

The internal and external conflicts faced by the author are developed in the essay body, including the pressure to conform to stereotypes and the challenges of balancing multiple passions. The author's experiences of being judged and bullied for not fitting into narrow expectations highlight the importance of embracing individuality and resisting societal norms. The author unpacks their overall resilience and determination to pursue their diverse interests despite obstacles, including overcoming ACL injuries and transitioning to homeschooling.  By detailing their involvement in various extracurricular activities and nonprofit initiatives, the author demonstrates their desire to make a positive impact and empower others to reach their potential.

6. Instagram Post

On “Silent Siege Day,” many students in my high school joined the Students for Life club and wore red armbands with “LIFE” on them. As a non-Catholic in a Catholic school, I knew I had to be cautious in expressing my opinion on the abortion debate. However, when I saw that all of the armband-bearing students were male, I could not stay silent.

I wrote on Instagram, “pro-choice does not necessarily imply pro-abortion; it means that we respect a woman’s fundamental right to make her own choice regarding her own body.”

Some of my peers expressed support but others responded by calling me a dumb bitch, among other names. When I demanded an apology for the name-calling, I was told I needed to learn to take a joke: “you have a lot of anger, I think you need a boyfriend.” Another one of my peers apparently thought the post was sarcastic (?) and said “I didn’t know women knew how to use sarcasm.”

One by one, I responded. I was glad to have sparked discussion, but by midnight, I was mentally and emotionally exhausted.

This is a strong essay, effectively recounting a journey of self-discovery and activism, beginning with a pivotal moment of speaking out against the majority opinion on abortion rights at their Catholic high school. The author's courage in challenging societal norms and expressing their beliefs, despite potential backlash, is evident from the outset. B y sharing a personal anecdote of facing criticism and derogatory comments on social media, the author gives a clear look at the emotional toll of standing up for one's beliefs in the face of adversity.

The essay integrates the author's reflections on their evolving understanding of social justice and feminism, sparked by their experiences and research following "The Post." Through engaging with feminist literature and studying historical movements like the Civil Rights Movement , the author demonstrates a growing awareness of systemic inequalities and the importance of dissent in effecting change. The author's decision to volunteer with Girls on the Run and engage in political activism, such as signing petitions and advocating against discriminatory policies, underscores their commitment to advancing social justice beyond their personal experiences.

This ambition reflects the author's desire to contribute to positive societal change and advocate for marginalized communities on a broader scale.  The essay effectively conveys a sense of optimism and determination for the future, encapsulated by the author's vision of becoming the first Asian woman on the Supreme Court.

The labels that I bear are hung from me like branches on a tree: disruptive, energetic, creative, loud, fun, easily distracted, clever, a space cadet, a problem … and that tree has roots called ADHD. The diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder made a lot of sense when it was handed down. I was diagnosed later than other children, probably owing to my sex, which is female; people with ADHD who are female often present in different ways from our male counterparts and are just as often missed by psychiatrists.

Over the years, these labels served as either a badge or a bludgeon, keeping me from certain activities, ruining friendships, or becoming elements of my character that I love about myself and have brought me closer to people I care about. Every trait is a double-edged sword.

The years that brought me to where I am now have been strange and uneven. I had a happy childhood, even if I was a “handful” for my parents. As I grew and grew in awareness of how I could be a problem, I developed anxiety over behavior I simply couldn’t control. With the diagnosis, I received relief, and yet, soon I was thinking of myself as broken, and I quickly attributed every setback to my neurological condition.

The author begins the essay by candidly acknowledging the various labels and stereotypes associated with their condition, illustrating the challenges of navigating societal perceptions and self-perception.  By highlighting the gendered aspect of ADHD diagnosis and its impact on their experiences, the author sheds light on the complexity of neurodiversity and the importance of recognition and understanding.

Throughout the essay, the author reflects on the dual nature of their ADHD traits, acknowledging both the struggles and strengths associated with their condition. They eloquently describe how their ADHD has influenced various aspects of their life, from friendships to academic performance to sports achievements. By sharing personal anecdotes and reflections, the essay effectively captures the author's journey of self-acceptance and reframing their perspective on their ADHD. 

The author acknowledges the initial sense of relief upon receiving their diagnosis, followed by feelings of brokenness and self-doubt. However, through introspection and self-compassion, the author ultimately embraces their neurodiversity as a fundamental aspect of their identity. This shift in mindset from viewing their brain as "wrong" to recognizing its uniqueness and resilience is a powerful testament to the author's growth and resilience.

By volunteering at a mental health resource center and advocating for the normalization of neurodiversity, the author demonstrates a desire to create a more inclusive and compassionate society.  The essay effectively communicates a message of empathy, acceptance, and celebration of diversity, encouraging readers to embrace their own differences and those of others.

Links to full essays:

Essay Three

Essay Seven

One other option – Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’d like to pursue a rigorous research program open to high schoolers, you may want to consider the   Lumiere Research Scholar Program , a selective online high school program for students founded by researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the   application form  here. 

Also check out the   Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation , a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Alexej is a graduate of Princeton University, where he studied Linguistics, Cognitive Science, and Humanities & Sciences. Alexej works in college admissions consulting, and is passionate about pursuing research at the intersection of humanities, linguistics, and psychology. He enjoys creative writing, hiking, and playing the piano.

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How to Write a Diversity Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide for Impactful Narratives

Diversity refers to the presence and acceptance of a variety of individual differences within a group or community. These differences can encompass aspects such as race, ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, abilities, and more. 

Embracing diversity in college involves recognizing and valuing these distinctions, fostering inclusivity, and creating an environment where everyone is respected and has equal opportunities.

In this article, you will learn about the definition of diversity essay and receive valuable writing hints, as well as interesting topic ideas. Keep in mind that at any moment, you can ask us, ‘ Write my papers ,’ and we’ll match you with a competent writer in seconds. 

What Is a Diversity Essay

Diversity essays serve as a profound exploration of an individual's distinctive experiences, perspectives, and contributions within the context of diversity. These essays, commonly encountered in academic and application settings like college admissions or job applications, offer a platform to articulate how one's background, identity, or life experiences enrich and contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment. 

This reflective narrative, unrestricted by a specific word limit, delves into personal challenges, triumphs, and the transformative influence of diversity in fostering understanding and personal development. Beyond individual stories, diversity essays underscore the broader significance of embracing differences, contributing to the creation of vibrant, tolerant communities. 

Creating a diversity essay is an opportunity for individuals to authentically express themselves, conveying the profound impact of diversity on their lives and perspectives.

Why a Diversity Essay Is Assigned to Students

Colleges encourage students to write diversity essays as a means of fostering a rich and inclusive academic environment. These essays provide applicants with an opportunity to express their unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds, contributing to the diverse tapestry of the campus community. Admissions officers seek a holistic view of applicants, and diversity essays offer valuable insights into an individual's character, values, and the impact of their experiences on their worldview.

By actively seeking diversity, colleges aim to create a vibrant and inclusive learning environment where students encounter a variety of perspectives, ideas, and cultures. Embracing diversity enhances the educational experience by promoting cross-cultural understanding, tolerance, and a broader worldview among students. It also prepares them for engagement in a globalized society where diverse perspectives and collaboration are essential.

All in all, colleges value diversity essays as a means of selecting students who will contribute to the inclusive and dynamic educational communities they strive to cultivate. If you don’t feel confident enough to write this type of composition, feel free to take advantage of custom research paper writing – it’s the fastest way to get the task done. 

Why Creating a Diversity Essay Is So Important in College

A diversity essay holds significance for several reasons, playing a crucial role in various contexts such as college admissions, job applications, or scholarship opportunities. Here are key reasons why a diversity essay is important:

1. Showcasing Individuality: A diversity essay allows individuals to present their unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds, highlighting what makes them distinct.

2. Contributing to Inclusivity: In academic and professional settings, diversity enriches the learning or working environment. Essays articulate how an individual's background can contribute to a diverse and inclusive community.

3. Promoting Understanding: By sharing personal stories, challenges, and triumphs related to diversity, individuals contribute to a broader understanding of different cultures, identities, and life experiences.

4. Community Building: In educational institutions and workplaces, diversity essays aid in forming communities that celebrate differences, fostering a supportive and respectful atmosphere.

5. Enhancing Applications: In college admissions or job applications, a well-crafted diversity essay can set an applicant apart, demonstrating qualities such as resilience, open-mindedness, and adaptability.

6. Preparing for Global Engagement: In an interconnected world, understanding and appreciating diversity is essential. Writing a diversity essay equips individuals with the ability to navigate and contribute to diverse and multicultural environments.

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20 Interesting Diversity Topic Ideas

Explore a rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences with these intriguing ideas for diversity topics. From navigating dual identities to championing inclusivity, each topic invites thoughtful exploration into the various facets that shape our diverse world.

• Cultural kaleidoscope.
• Navigating dual identities.
• Language as a bridge.
• Beyond borders.
• Empathy through experience.
• Championing inclusivity.
• Intersectionality in identity.
• Overcoming stereotypes.
• Family traditions.
• Educational odyssey.
• Cultural exchange impact.
• Artistic expressions.
• Resilience in adversity.
• Community engagement.
• Navigating generational differences.
• LGBTQ+ narratives.
• Global perspectives through travel.
• Environmental activism.
• Technology and global connection.
• Reflection on privilege.

Writing Tips to Consider

When writing a diversity essay, consider highlighting unique experiences, perspectives, and contributions. Emphasize personal growth and the impact of diversity on your worldview. Share specific examples that showcase your understanding of diverse backgrounds. Address challenges and how you've overcome them, demonstrating resilience. Connect your experiences to your goals and how diversity enriches your academic and personal journey. 

Conclude by emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and your commitment to contributing to diverse communities. As an example, please check out an article about the first black woman in space . 

Keep the Essay’s Focus on You

Keeping the focus on yourself when writing a diversity essay is crucial because the essay aims to provide insights into the student's personal experiences, perspectives, and growth. By focusing on their own journey, students can authentically share how diversity has influenced their lives, values, and understanding of the world. This approach allows for a genuine and reflective exploration of the impact of diversity on the individual, showcasing their unique story and contributions. 

It enables admissions committees to gain a deeper understanding of the student's character, resilience, and commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. Ultimately, keeping the narrative personal enhances the authenticity and effectiveness of the essay.

Speak From Your Own Experience 

Speaking from one's own experience when learning how to write a diversity essay is essential because it adds authenticity and depth to the narrative. Sharing personal experiences allows students to convey genuine insights into how diversity has shaped their perspectives, values, and identity. By drawing from their unique encounters and challenges, students can provide a real and relatable account of the impact of diversity on their lives. 

This approach helps admissions committees connect with the individual on a more profound level, fostering a better understanding of their journey and the lessons learned. It also demonstrates the student's ability to reflect on personal growth and contributes to a more compelling and impactful diversity essay.

Explain How Your Background or Identity Has Affected Your Life

When writing a diversity essay, students should explain how their background or identity has affected their lives to provide context and insight into their personal journey. By elucidating the influence of their background or identity, students can showcase the unique perspectives, challenges, and experiences that have contributed to their growth and development. 

This allows admissions committees to understand the specific ways in which diversity has shaped the individual's character, values, and outlook on the world. It also highlights the student's ability to reflect on the broader implications of their background, emphasizing the richness and depth that diversity brings to their life story. Ultimately, explaining the impact of background or identity adds a layer of authenticity and depth to the diversity essay, making it more compelling and resonant.

Did you know that students buy essay papers three times out of five? That’s because the college workload is pretty heavy, and free time is a rare commodity. In addition, some topics might not resonate at all, like diversity or bullying. That’s why professional writers are always there for you to assist. 

How to Write a Diversity Essay Step by Step

Writing a diversity essay involves weaving a narrative that explores the unique aspects of your background, experiences, and perspectives. Start by reflecting on your identity, considering elements such as cultural background, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, or any other defining factors. Share personal anecdotes that highlight challenges, triumphs, or pivotal moments related to your identity. Emphasize the lessons learned and growth experienced through these encounters.

Connect your experiences to broader themes of diversity, inclusion, and societal impact. Showcase how your diverse perspectives contribute to a richer understanding of the world. Articulate a vision for fostering diversity and inclusion in various contexts, whether academic, professional, or community-based.

Craft your essay with clarity, authenticity, and a genuine voice. Make it a compelling narrative that not only communicates your unique story but also resonates with the broader themes of diversity, promoting a deeper understanding of the multifaceted human experience. If anything becomes too difficult or time-consuming, use our assignment writing service to speed the process up.

Step 1: Do Your Research

Conducting research for a diversity essay involves exploring various sources to enhance your understanding of different perspectives and experiences. Begin by reading literature, articles, or academic papers on diversity-related topics to gain insights into the broader discourse. Engage with diverse voices from authors, scholars, and activists who share experiences or provide analysis in areas relevant to your essay.

Utilize online databases, libraries, and educational platforms to access a wide range of resources. Interview individuals with diverse backgrounds to gather firsthand accounts and personal narratives that can enrich your essay. Attend relevant events, workshops, or lectures to expand your knowledge and engage with diverse viewpoints.

Stay informed about current events and societal discussions related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Follow reputable news sources, journals, and community organizations to stay updated on evolving perspectives and challenges. Incorporate credible research findings into your essay to substantiate your arguments and present a well-rounded perspective on diversity issues. Have you already checked our women in stem article? You should definitely do it!

Step 2: Craft an Outline

Creating an outline for diversity essays involves structuring your thoughts to present a cohesive narrative. Here's an example:

Introduction:

• Start with a compelling hook or anecdote related to diversity.
• Introduce the significance of diversity and its impact on individuals and communities.
• Clearly state your thesis or the main idea you will explore in the essay.

Body Paragraphs:

Paragraph 1: Personal Background

• Share your personal background, including cultural, ethnic, or other relevant identities.
• Discuss how your background has shaped your perspectives.

Paragraph 2: Experiences and Challenges

• Highlight specific experiences or challenges related to diversity that you've encountered.
• Reflect on how these experiences have influenced your worldview.

Paragraph 3: Contributions to Diversity

• Share instances where you've contributed to promoting diversity or fostering inclusion.
• Discuss any initiatives, projects, or activities you've undertaken.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the key points discussed in the body paragraphs.
• Reiterate the importance of diversity and your commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.

End your essay with a strong concluding statement that reinforces the significance of embracing diversity. This structure provides a narrative flow, allowing your essay to unfold naturally while addressing key aspects of diversity.

Step 3: Follow These Writing Tips

To elevate your essay and make it stand out, consider incorporating the following tips into your writing process:

• Begin by reflecting on your own experiences, beliefs, and values related to diversity.
• Share a personal story or unique perspective that highlights your understanding of diversity.
• Write authentically about your experiences, avoiding clichés or trying to fit into preconceived notions.
• Consider the experiences and perspectives of your readers to make your essay relatable.
• Discuss how your encounters with diversity have contributed to personal growth and understanding.
• Describe the impact of diversity on your life and how it has shaped your identity.
• If applicable, showcase your contributions to promoting diversity and inclusion.
• While discussing challenges, focus on positive outcomes and lessons learned.
• Be mindful of perpetuating stereotypes and strive for a nuanced and respectful portrayal.
• Carefully edit your essay for clarity and coherence, ensuring it effectively conveys your message.

Remember that in college, you should also learn how to write a speech . This guide will help you figure out the essentials of writing speeches that resonate and engage the audience.

Diversity Essay Examples

You can choose a diversity essay example that you like and use it as inspiration for your own work:

Diversity essays are more than a requirement; they're an opportunity for self-discovery and understanding. This assignment delves into our experiences, unraveling the richness within our perspectives. Exploring cultural kaleidoscopes, dual identities, and personal narratives, writing about diversity becomes a transformative act. 

In this guide, we showed you how to write a diversity essay, providing insights into weaving personal stories into compelling narratives. By following these tips, we contribute to fostering understanding and appreciation for diversity. Beyond grades, this assignment impacts our growth and the broader societal conversation. Once you enter college, make it a good habit to buy an argumentative essay and save your time and energy for more engaging student activities. 

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Blog > Essay Advice , Supplementals > How to Write a Diversity Supplemental Essay

How to Write a Diversity Supplemental Essay

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Alex McNeil, MA Admissions Consultant

Key Takeaway

This post is one in a series of posts about the supplemental essays. You can read our core “how-to” supplemental post here .

What is a Diversity supplemental essay?

In the last few years, we've seen an increase in college supplemental essays that focus on diversity. These essay prompts usually ask the applicant to discuss a way in which they bring diversity to their community or have experienced diversity in their lives.

These supplemental essays can be tricky to write. Not everyone sees themselves as embodying diversity or engaging with it extensively. This may be partly because many writers may associate "diversity" somewhat narrowly with categories like race, sexual orientation, or socio-economic status.

Really, however, diversity can encompass much more. We've worked with students who have written compelling diversity essays about being a class clown, defining the diversity they add to their community in terms of humor.

If you're stressed about the diversity essay, this post is for you. We're going to go into the strategies we've used to help students write amazing diversity essays. We'll also provide some example essays to give you a sense of what a great diversity essay really looks like.

Diversity Essay Strategy

To write a good diversity essay, you first have to think through what schools are really after with these prompts.

Take the University of Washington's essay, which is somewhere between a diversity and a community essay:

Our families and communities often define us and our individual worlds. Community might refer to your cultural group, extended family, religious group, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, co-workers, etc. Describe the world you come from and how you, as a product of it, might add to the diversity of the UW.

This prompt is a helpful one because it gives a very broad definition of what diversity might look like. It kind of defines diversity in reverse by pointing to all these different communities, then asking you to talk about how your place in one of them contributes to diversity.

But UW's prompt is helpful for another reason: it clearly shows that the underlying purpose of the prompt is for the admissions committee to get a sense of what you will add to the school community.

This is the purpose of most, if not all, diversity essays. By reflecting on a community you belong to, or a way in which you add diversity, admissions officers are getting a clearer sense of who you will be as a member of their school community. You can use your diversity essays to underscore important parts of your overall application narrative .

Remember that assessing " school fit " is a major part of an admissions officer's job. You can think of diversity essays as a way to show school fit in a less direct way than you might in a "Why Us" essay.

One more note. As we've emphasized over and over, college supplementals should focus on personal strengths. You don't need to brag, but you do need to show yourself in a positive light that helps an admissions officer understand the values you'll bring to their campus.

This gets us to a clearer sense of a strategy for Diversity essays. Your goal is three-fold:

• Hone in on a way in which you contribute diversity, even if it falls outside the traditional categories we might think of when we think of diversity.
• Show you understand the school community, making a case for school fit. This may be more or less important depending on the prompt. In the UW example, it's clearly paramount.
• Tell a story that showcases your strengths and the benefit you'll add to a school community.

If you can do those three things, you should come out the other side with a pretty solid diversity essay.

How to do Diversity Essay school research

Let's pretend that you're writing your diversity essay about your South Indian heritage. Maybe you grew up in a predominately white community and are a minority at your high school.

I bet you have a lot to say about what it was like to grow up in a community where you were outside the predominant racial group. If you feel comfortable writing about that experience, then go for it.

I want to pause here for a moment — a lot of our students will debate with themselves about writing essays that deal with that kind of topic. They usually have a sense that these topics are "overplayed" or "generic."

If there's a meaningful story to tell there, if it feels important to write about, you should follow that instinct, especially for diversity supplementals. Writing about your experience as a minority in your community is a perfect way to address a topic that explicitly asks about diversity. I encourage you to lean into these stories if they feel accessible for you to write about.

Once you've settled on that story, however, you may want to do some research into the types of organizations and programs at the school that you could join that fit your story.

If you're writing about the difficulty of finding a sense of identity in a predominately white community, you could talk about how you can't wait to join the Indian Students Alliance. You could talk about helping to organize a student Diwali celebration. You could even take it into the academic realm, and pick out a course from the Asian Studies department that would help you get a better sense of Indian history.

My point is simple. Try to find programs, courses, or clubs that the school already offers that fit with the topic of your diversity essay. Then, make a case for how you would engage with those offerings. Give the school a clear sense of how you'll engage with their community if they invite you to join it. In other words, help them make a case for school fit.

Now let's pretend you're writing your essay about something that falls outside of the traditional ambit of diversity. Let's go with comedy!

You're a pretty funny person, and lacking a more traditional answer to diversity prompts, you decide to write about how you bring diversity by lightening any room with your sense of humor.

Tell your story, then write about how you would join the school's improv comedy club. Find a class on comedy screenwriting and talk about that.

Bottom line: even in a diversity essay, it can pay to do your research about the school and make a case for school fit. Where Why Us essays may often focus more on academic offerings, Diversity essays are a good opportunity to make a case for fit in a broader, more cultural sense.

How to write a Diversity supplemental essay

The right way to approach a Diversity supplement will vary based on prompts. Some schools may ask you to take a more formal, even policy-oriented approach to the question of diversity. Other prompts may simply ask you to relate a story that highlights diversity. Of the two, the second is more common, so that's what we'll focus on here.

The most challenging part of writing a diversity essay is often picking the type of diversity that you represent. As we've discussed, diversity can look like many things.

If you're having trouble thinking about how you represent diversity, try stepping away from the term. Instead ask yourself, "What's something I'm good at?"

I find this question to be helpful because, for most people, it's way easier to answer.

You might be good at comedy, or gardening, or making coffee, or political analysis, or cooking amazing soups.

Any of those five skills could be reinterpreted to answer a diversity prompt. Why? Because diversity, at its most basic level, means difference. Another way to answer the diversity prompt is to answer the question, “What makes you different from other people?”

Thinking about what you’re good at is an easy way to answer that question. What do you do well that others don’t? Almost any answer to that question will give you a solid answer to a diversity prompt. As a bonus, framing your answer to a diversity prompt around strengths will make it easy to keep your essay strength-focused.

Once you have your topic in hand, the writing process begins.

Most great diversity essays (we'll see a couple of examples later) tell a story. It might be about an experience you had with a classmate, an encounter with someone else in your life, or a broader narrative about a trend that's shaped your life.

As with most supplemental essays, I recommend outlining first and making sure that you're super clear about how your response fits the prompt. Among all types of supplemental essays, Diversity essays can be among the easiest to mess up because the essay you write doesn't actually fit the requirements of the prompt.

Here's an example of what a basic diversity essay structure might look like:

Intro: Tell a story that introduces the reader to your definition of diversity.

Middle: Introduce your definition of diversity more directly and reflect on the role it's played in your life / how it's shaped who you are as a person.

Conclusion: Answer any prompt-specific stuff directly. For example, in the UW prompt, this is where you'd talk about how you'd contribute to diversity.

The conclusion is also where you might tie in the kind of school research we talked about earlier.

As you're writing, ask yourself whether you're meeting the criteria for a good diversity essay we laid out above. Are you...

• Giving a clear definition of diversity, even if it's a bit unorthodox?
• Highlighting personal strengths through your story?
• Connecting to the school -- either through values or through specific school research?

If you're doing all three of these things, your essay should be in good shape.

Now, let’s take a look at a great diversity essay example.

Diversity Supplemental Essay Example

Example: growing up rural.

Columbia: A hallmark of the Columbia experience is being able to learn and thrive in an equitable and inclusive community with a wide range of perspectives. Tell us about an aspect of your own perspective, viewpoint or lived experience that is important to you, and describe how it has shaped the way you would learn from and contribute to Columbia’s diverse and collaborative community. (200 words or fewer)*

When the closest grocery store is an hour away, you learn to get creative. Applesauce replaces vegetable oil, milk gets thickened with cornstarch, and sometimes you have no choice but to omit the garlic. Such is the life of a rural kid.

Growing up on a farm, I’ve learned to take academic and community challenges in stride.(( The writer provides a clear statement about where they come from and how it has shaped their worldview.)) Whereas most students can simply hop on the school bus in winter, my dad has to grade our road so the bus won’t get stuck. I spend nearly three hours each day on the bus alone, and my afternoons are filled with combining corn before I can get started on homework.

New York and my hometown are about as different as you can get. What unites them is that I belong in both.(( This sentence clearly transitions between the relationship between their home town and life at Columbia.))  The corn we grow feeds thousands, but we rely on bus drivers, supply chains, and the helping hands of neighbors to keep us going.  I don’t always agree with my rural family or neighbors, and I’m sure I won’t always agree with my classmates at Columbia.

But my background has made me open-minded, flexible, and adaptable, traits I would love to bring to the Columbia classroom.(( The essay concludes with this sentence that explicitly answers the prompt and draws on values that align with Columbia’s.))

Interested in reading more example supplemental essays? Hop on over to our college essay examples post for some of our favorites.

Liked that? Try this next.

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How to Write a Diversity Essay: The Complete, Step-by-Step Guide

by  Antony W

February 16, 2023

It’s easy to freak out when requested to write a diversity essay for your college application. 

Think of it like this:

You’ve probably had the most difficult time formatting a personal statement. And maybe writing a statement of purpose wasn’t easy either.

Now you’re facing another a giant paper that will determine whether you get an admission to college or university of your choice or otherwise.

Don’t freak out because a diversity essay doesn’t have to be as difficult to write.

With our step-by-step guide, you’ll write a killer diversity statement that will supplement your personal statement or statement of purpose and will you an admission in a college of your choice.

What is a Diversity Essay?

A diversity essay is an assignment that tests how you view and analyze vastness in cultural backgrounds, experiences, values and viewpoints.  

When it comes to writing the essay, do so in a way that proves that you can both embrace and enrich the multicultural environment of the learning institution you intend to join.

A well-written diversity essay will not only communicate your willingness and ability to encourage a culture of varying viewpoints, but also show the admissions board that you recognize diverse identities. 

Why Colleges Want You to Write a Diversity Essay 

Colleges and universities request students to write diversity essays to determine whether they can fit in learning institutions.

By writing about where you come from and how the society around you view and treat people from your background, the admissions board can get the message that you’re aware of your socioeconomic status.

Further, by showing why you care about equality and inclusion, and stating how you can contribute to diversity during and after school, you make it easy for the admissions board to decide whether you’re fit for a program you’d like to apply to.

Steps to Write a Diversity Essay 

There’s more to writing a diversity essay than just putting words on a page.

From researching your topic and writing your first draft to using a proper structure and proofing your work, there’s a lot of work that goes into this assignment. Here’s how to get it right: 

Step #1: Start with Research 

Even if an admissions panel doesn’t give you a topic to write your essay on, do enough research to understand what your topic of choice is all about.

Even if you already have a firsthand experience with the issue at hand, you still should do research and relate your experiences to external factors.

The last thing you want to do is to is to misrepresent a group of people, so research can help foster clarity.

For example, if you say that gender inequality is the worst act of prejudice in history, provide irrefutable evidence that shows the disadvantage of being gender biased.

Step #2: Create an Outline 

With your research completed, you should have enough information to add to your essay.

It’s tempting to immediately get down to writing at this point, but you shouldn’t until you have written an outline.

A standard outline is a solid framework that lets you organize your thoughts and guide your ideas. It also makes it easy for you to cover the most important issues and to leave out what isn’t worth reading.

A 5-paragraph essay format is perfect for a diversity statement. In a content template, you’ll have an introduction paragraph, a body section with three paragraphs for the factors that you’d like to explain, and the concluding paragraph.

The opening paragraph of your diversity essay should be a strong hook. Use this space to introduce yourself. Write your claim in the thesis, and remember it’s the very statement that answers the question you intend to cover in the body paragraphs of the assignment.

You’ll have to write 3 paragraphs for the body section. Here, concentrate on factors that contribute to diversity. Provide concrete details, be as authentic as possible, and make sure you provide your arguments in a manner that the admissions board can identify with.

The concluding paragraph of the essay shouldn’t be difficult to write. It’s here that you restate the thesis, yet in a way that doesn’t look like you’re spamming the section. Instead of just copying and pasting your thesis in this section, you could, for example, restructure the entire sentence but maintain the same meaning.

Step #3: Stick to the Theme of a Diversity Essay 

A diversity statement is the kind of a college admissions essay that looks beyond your interests as a person, especially on why you’re the best fit for a certain program in a given institution. It focuses on the theme of cultural, economic, ethnic, and social status of varied groups.

This essay requires you to explain whether you’re an insider or outsider, and how you experience being either and how you can show your commitment to diversity.

How Can You Contribute to a Diversity Essay? 

Share a personal story .

Your diversity essay can pique the interest of an admissions board if it includes a perianal story such as enduring racism in your community or your experience as an immigrant in a foreign country.

Don’t hesitate to recognize your privileges, and, in addition, let your essay reflect your willingness to dismantle inequality and encourage diversity.

Doing so is a sensible way to promote inclusion – even if you’re someone raised with no adversity at all.

Talk about Your Professional Goals 

Because the purpose of a diversity essay is to describe how you can bring about equality by promoting inclusion, consider contributing your professional goals in the assignment.

Show how you’ll use your professional goals to ensure diversity and promote equality in your community. 

Say you want to be a teacher. Your diversity essay can discuss the difficult of access to quality education.

Then work your way to describing how your profession as a teacher will help to break social, economic, and cultural barriers that hinders access to quality education. 

Related Reading 

• How to Write an MBA Essay
• How to Write a Synthesis Essay Step-by-Step
• Can You Put a Thesis Statement at the End of an Essay?

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

How to Write Diversity Essay for College

Table of contents

• 1 Definition of a Diversity Essay and Its Significance
• 2 Selecting Your Focus
• 3.1 Writing the Introduction
• 3.2 Developing the Body of the Essay
• 3.3 Concluding Your Essay
• 4 Common Challenges in Diversity Essay Writing
• 5 Diversity Essay Example
• 6 Conclusion: Embracing Our Diverse Narratives

In an era where understanding and embracing diversity is more crucial than ever, crafting a compelling diversity essay for college is a vital skill. This article delves into the nuances of writing an effective one, guiding you through topics and each step of the process.

Key points we will cover include:

• Defining a diversity essay and its significance.
• Selecting the right focus for your essay.
• Planning and structuring your essay effectively.
• Crafting an engaging introduction, a reflective body, and a powerful conclusion.
• Overcoming common challenges in writing.
• Analyzing an illustrative example.

With these insights, you’ll be well-equipped to write an essay that meets academic standards and genuinely reflects the diverse experiences that shape our world. Let’s dive in.

Definition of a Diversity Essay and Its Significance

In the realm of college applications and scholarship essays, the diversity essay stands out as a powerful tool to showcase an individual’s varied background and perspectives. What is diversity essay? It is a thoughtful composition that delves into the unique aspects of your identity and experiences, highlighting how they contribute to diversity of a community or institution. This essay is not confined to discussions of racial or ethnic distinctions; it broadly encompasses aspects like cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and experiential diversity, among others.

Writing such an essay involves deep self-reflection . It is a process that requires you to introspect and understand the various facets of your unique identity college essay and how they have influenced your life. This introspection is not merely about recognizing differences, but also about appreciating the richness that these differences bring to your life and, by extension, to the community you are a part of.

The significance of a diversity essay lies in its ability to foster a greater understanding of the varied human experiences that shape our world. It encourages an appreciation for the mosaic of existing backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives.

Selecting Your Focus

Moving forward from understanding the importance of diversity, the next step involves articulating your unique perspective. Choosing the right aspect of diversity to write about in your essay is critical. To make this choice, consider the following tips:

• Reflect on What Makes You Unique: This could be your cultural heritage, a unique life experience, or an unusual hobby or talent.
• Assess the Impact: Consider choosing an aspect that has significantly impacted your personal development.
• Look for Overlaps with Broader Themes: This linkage can provide a powerful context for your personal narrative.

Your essay should strike a balance between personal anecdotes and broader social and cultural implications.

• Avoid clichés and delve into unique, personal narratives and a fresh perspective in your paper on diversity.
• Authenticity is key; your essay should genuinely express your experiences and views, rather than rehashing common or stereotypical stories.

You can create compelling and insightful diversity essay topics by focusing on what makes your story distinct and connecting it to broader themes.

Planning the Diversity Essay

Once you’ve honed in on your unique angle, the next crucial phase is laying down a structured essay plan. Effective planning for a diversity essay is a vital step that sets the foundation for a compelling narrative. How to write a diversity statement? The importance of creating an outline cannot be overstated. An outline serves as a roadmap, organizing your thoughts and narratives in a coherent order. It helps you to arrange your ideas logically, ensuring that each point flows naturally into the next.

The structure of the essay is typically divided into three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. The introduction should grab the reader’s attention and provide a preview of what the essay will cover. It sets the tone and context for your narrative. The essay’s body is where you delve into the details of your unique experiences and perspectives, using a specific diversity essays sample to illustrate your points. Each paragraph should focus on a different aspect of your diversity, building upon the thesis statement. The conclusion ties everything together, reinforcing the main points and leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Developing a clear and concise thesis statement is crucial for guiding the direction of your essay. A strong one ensures that every element of your essay contributes towards the overarching message you want to convey. In sum, careful planning, structured writing, and a clear thesis are essential for crafting an impactful college diversity essay.

Writing the Introduction

The introduction of your diversity essay is a crucial component that engages and intrigues your reader. Crafting an engaging opening is key. Begin with a compelling statement, anecdote, or thought-provoking question that encapsulates the essence of your diverse background or perspective. This could be a vivid description of a significant moment, a brief narrative of a personal experience that shaped your understanding of diversity, or a unique insight that reflects your individuality.

The tone you set in the introduction is pivotal. It should resonate with the overarching theme of your essay and hint at the narrative style you will employ. The introduction serves to captivate and provides essential context for your narrative. It should offer a glimpse into the aspects of your identity or experiences that you will explore in more detail throughout the essay. Remember, the introduction is your first opportunity to make an impression, so ensure it is reflective, engaging, and indicative of the compelling story you are about to tell.

Developing the Body of the Essay

With the groundwork laid and your readers’ attention captured, it’s time to delve deeper into the heart of your essay. The body of your diversity scholarship essay is where you bring your unique experiences and perspectives to life. When narrating personal stories and experiences that highlight diversity, consider these tips:

• Focus on specific instances or experiences that clearly illustrate the aspects of diversity you’re discussing. Vivid descriptions and details make your story more engaging and relatable.
• Use anecdotes and examples to show how your experiences have shaped your views on diversity and inclusion, rather than simply stating them.
• While your stories are personal, try to connect them to larger themes or issues related to diversity, helping the reader understand the broader implications.

Reflect on how your experiences have impacted your understanding of diversity and what you’ve learned from them. Moreover, share insights about the importance of diversity and inclusion essay in your life and a broader societal context. Balancing storytelling with analytical and reflective writing is key to a compelling piece. While your narratives bring the diversity college essay to life, analytical and reflective writing provides depth and context.

Concluding Your Essay

A powerful conclusion is vital for leaving a lasting impression on your reader. To achieve this, consider the following strategies:

• Summarize the key points.
• Connect back to the introduction.
• Shortly reflect on broader implications. Discuss how your understanding of diversity contributes to a larger societal or community context.
• Leave with a thought-provoking statement. End with a provocative question or a forward-looking statement that encourages the reader to think deeply about the topic.

A powerful conclusion not only reinforces the main points of your essay but also reflects on the broader significance of your diverse experience. This final part of your essay is your opportunity to make a meaningful and lasting impact, emphasizing the value of diverse experiences and viewpoints in enriching our understanding of the world.

Common Challenges in Diversity Essay Writing

With these insights in mind, the process of writing an effective diversity essay extends beyond personal storytelling to include navigating several complex and sensitive issues. Writing an effective diversity essay involves navigating several complex and sensitive issues. Understanding and addressing these challenges is crucial for creating a respectful and impactful essay:

• Navigating Sensitivities: Diversity topics often touch on deeply personal and potentially sensitive issues. Be aware of the nuances and complexities involved in discussions about race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, and other aspects of identity.
• Avoiding Stereotypes and Generalizations: Ensure that your essay reflects a nuanced understanding of diversity, recognizing that each individual’s experience is unique and cannot be broadly categorized.
• Balancing Discussion of Adversity: While discussing challenges and adversity can be a powerful element of your essay, overemphasis on struggle can overshadow other important aspects of your diversity experience. Strive to balance acknowledging adversity and highlighting growth, strengths, and positive outcomes.
• Avoiding Repetition of the Prompt: It’s easy to fall into the trap of simply restating the essay prompt or question in your response. Instead, use the prompt as a starting point for a deeper exploration of your unique experiences and perspectives.
• Ensuring Authenticity and Respectfulness: Be mindful of how others perceive your words, especially those from different backgrounds or experiences.

By being mindful of these challenges, you can write an impactful and respectful diversity essay ideas. It’s about striking the right balance between personal narrative and broader social understanding, while being careful not to oversimplify or generalize.

Diversity Essay Example

Below is an example of a diversity essay that explores an individual’s journey from a limited understanding of diversity to a profound appreciation of the rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and backgrounds encountered through personal experiences.

What makes me diverse?  Growing up in a small, predominantly white town in the Midwest, my understanding of diversity was limited to what I saw on television and read in books. It wasn’t until my family moved to a larger city that I experienced the true mosaic of cultures, religions, and backgrounds. This transition was eye-opening and challenging. I navigated various social norms and cultural nuances entirely foreign to me. In school, I was one of the few students from a small town. My classmates hailed from various corners of the world, each bringing unique perspectives and experiences. Initially, I felt improper. I struggled to understand different accents and cultural references. However, I soon realized that this diversity was a gift. I learned about Diwali and Eid celebrations, tasted authentic dishes from countries I had only read about, and heard firsthand accounts of life in places I had never visited. I also encountered diversity in thoughts and beliefs. Debates in my history class were no longer one-sided; they were enriched with multiple viewpoints, challenging my preconceptions and broadening my understanding of the world. I learned that diversity isn’t just about racial or ethnic differences; it’s about the exchange of ideas, experiences, and values. My journey of embracing diversity wasn’t without challenges. There were moments of cultural misunderstandings and unintentional offenses. These experiences taught me the importance of empathy, open-mindedness, and communication. I learned to ask questions instead of making assumptions, to listen more than I spoke, and to embrace my role as a learner in the vast classroom of diverse experiences. Outside of school, I volunteered at a local community center, where I worked with refugees. This experience was transformative. I heard stories of resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity, saw the challenges of assimilation, and understood the profound impact of cultural identity. These interactions deepened my appreciation for the complexities and strengths inherent in diverse communities. Reflecting on these experiences, I recognize how my background in a small town and my exposure to a diverse urban environment have shaped my perspective. I understand that diversity is not just about co-existing; it’s about actively engaging with and learning from others. Diversity is an opportunity to expand our understanding, challenge our assumptions, and grow in ways we never anticipated.

This essay about diversity is illustrative for several reasons. Firstly, it demonstrates how personal experiences can profoundly shape one’s understanding of diversity. Secondly, it emphasizes that diversity goes beyond race and ethnicity; it encompasses a range of experiences, beliefs, and values.

Moreover, the essay effectively balances personal narrative with broader reflections on the significance of diversity. The author’s personal stories are seamlessly interwoven with insights on the value and challenges of diversity, demonstrating a deep understanding of the topic. These qualities are crucial for fostering inclusive and respectful interactions in a diverse society.

In conclusion, this personal diversity essay example offers a nuanced and reflective exploration of diversity. It illustrates the transformative power of exposure to different cultures and ideas, and underscores the importance of embracing diversity as a path to personal and collective growth.

Conclusion: Embracing Our Diverse Narratives

Finally, an impactful diversity essay emphasizes authenticity, introspection, and respect. These rules drive the narrative framework of your essay, ensuring that your story is true and deep. A compelling diversity essay weaves these aspects together to present a personal, vital story that contributes to a larger discussion about diversity. It should foster empathy, understanding, and reflection, not just about your own experiences, but also about the importance of diversity in creating a more inclusive and empathic society. By embracing our unique histories and sharing them with authenticity, contemplation, and respect, we may build a greater awareness of the vast tapestry of human experiences that surrounds us.

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How to Write the “Diversity” Essay

Our favorite approaches to tackling deib-focused essays.

The diversity of a student body — socioeconomic, cultural, racial, gender intellectual, etc — can be one of the most rewarding aspects of a college experience. When one teenager who grew up on a goat farm in rural Vermont meets the child of diplomats from Singapore meets a kid from San Diego who surfs competitively, those young people will change how one another sees the world. As such, more and more, colleges have begun including supplemental essay questions that ask students to describe how they value diversity and/or how they might contribute to the diversity of a college campus. Those questions might sound something like this:

At the University of Colorado Boulder, no two Buffs are alike. We value difference and support equity and inclusion of all students and their many intersecting identities. Pick one of your unique identities and describe its significance. (250 words)

On Colgate’s campus, students engage with individuals from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, and perspectives during the course of their educational and social experiences. In 200-250 words, please share the benefits you see in engaging with a diverse body of students, faculty, and staff as part of your Colgate experience.

The process of discovery best advances when people from various backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives come together. How do you see yourself contributing to the diversity of Caltech’s community? (250-400 words)

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. (250 words)

Rice is lauded for creating a collaborative atmosphere that enhances the quality of life for all members of our campus community. The Residential College System is heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What personal perspectives would you contribute to life at Rice? (500 words)

In answering these kinds of essay prompts, we encourage you to think expansively about the word “diversity.” Simply ask yourself: what perspective or life experience do I have that others might not have?

Tip 1: Try the community approach

Lots of students find success in writing the diversity essay by essentially writing a community essay with diversity flavor. Birds, meet stone! For example, if you write a community essay about making pierogies with your Polish-American family or growing up playing in the kids’ room at your neighborhood’s Islamic Cultural Center, those are both also effective demonstrations of how you might contribute to the diversity of your campus community. And if you write a community essay about joining your local 4-H Club and having your worldview expanded by meeting people from all walks of life there, that could be an effective demonstration of why and how you value diversity.

If you’re interested in trying this approach, check out our brainstorming questions for community, diversity, and identity, as well as our guide on the community essay .

Tip 2: Try the identity/perspective approach

If you can’t think of any communities to which you belong that would support an essay with a diversity takeaway, no sweat! There are plenty of other approaches to the diversity essay. One of the most common strategies for the diversity essay is to write about an identity or a perspective that is not yet covered in your application.

Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, set a timer for 5 minutes, and quickly list out all of the ways in which you identify. And again: think expansively! “Man,” “bisexual,” “white,” and “Christian” belong on the list, but so might “feminist,” “artist,” “Ping pong champ,” “ballroom dance lover,” or “peacemaker.” Don’t judge the identities for their usefulness while you’re writing — just write. (If you’re looking for a more structured approach to this exercise, you might try our Identity Wheel .)

When you’re done, look over your list. Is one of the identities that you jotted down particularly important to you? Does one of them feel particularly unique to you? Are there identities that you haven’t addressed so far in your application? Is there an identity that perhaps you’ve found challenging to reconcile or that has been a source of conflict or stress? Any identity that you’ve written down that suits one of these questions could make for a rich and fruitful diversity essay that shows admissions officers one aspect of the unique perspective that you would bring to campus.

Tip 3: Touch on how diversity shapes your outlook

Remember: colleges ask this question because they genuinely value diversity, and they believe that education is incomparably enriched if students learn alongside those whose perspectives differ from their own. Colleges want to know that your values align with theirs — that you, too, believe in the worth of diversity. In order to effectively communicate that you value diversity, you’ll need to go one step further than simply describing how you’ve encountered diversity in your life so far — you’ll need to explain how your experiences with diverse groups have shaped your outlook.

For example, let’s say you want to write about a self-defense class for women that you took at the YMCA. It isn’t quite enough just to describe all of the different types of women who showed up and state your amazement at their wide range of backgrounds. You would also need to talk about what that class taught you about the value of diversity, or how it helped you become a more thoughtful listener, a more compassionate collaborator, or a stronger advocate for people on the margins of society.

Check out our full College Essay Hub for tons of resources and guidance on writing your college essays. Need more personalized guidance on brainstorming or crafting your supplemental essays? Contact our college admissions team.

Caroline Hertz

How to write the diversity essay

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What makes an applicant 'diverse?' How should you approach diversity in your essays?

Well, to find out, join Shravya for a breakdown of 'diversity' or 'community' essay type, including: what admissions officers are looking for, when to include school-specific info, and general tips for writing. She'll also go through an essay example or two on-air so you can see how admissions officers would critique this kind of essay.

Once the presentation is complete, Shravya will open up the floor for a Q&A session to answer any questions you may have about diversity-themed essays.

Undergrad College: Rice University '20

Work Experience: During my time at Rice, I mentored dozens of high school students through the college application process, along with editing essays and tutoring students for the ACT/SAT. I also interned at a medical technology startup, conducted research in Brazil, and gave a TEDx talk. I recently finished applying to medical school; I've been admitted to multiple schools, and will be starting in the Fall.

My Admissions Story: I remember feeling very blindsided by the admissions process and not knowing where to begin. I hope that sharing my experiences and some of the things I’ve learned along the way will help guide other students in a similar boat.

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The Diversity Essay

Most institutions of higher education celebrate diversity. What does this word mean to you? And what role will diversity play in your undergraduate life? 

The diversity essay can take many different forms, but at the core of this type of supplemental essay is one important question: How do you engage with people whose lived experiences differ from yours? 

Whatever your background, we suggest you focus largely on your own personal growth or address a social issue that matters to you. Colleges want to know about your life beyond the classroom and how you will contribute to diversity, equity, and inclusion on their campus. 

If the prompt is more community-oriented, first focus on a community that means something to you, and the diversity narrative will fall into place. No matter your starting point, be sure to tell a clear story with a beginning, middle, and end. It might be tempting to pen a vivid description of your Irish dance troupe’s show-stopping performances and leave it at that, but the point of an essay like this is to tell a story about you and your personal growth.

Some Examples for Community-Oriented Diversity Essays:

• Maybe you are the president of your school’s Black Student Union, where you discuss issues affecting the black community with your peers and empower each other to take action. Perhaps you’re hoping to continue leading discussions on marginalized identities and black culture through clubs and organizations next year on campus. 
• Perhaps friends you made in jiu-jitsu class have introduced you to a new art form and culture, influencing your desire to pursue study abroad opportunities in college. 
• Maybe your Midwestern high school is incredibly homogenous and isolated, and you helped your Spanish class organize Skype chats with high school students in Guatemala.
• Is your family one of the only Muslim families in your small, coastal town? Is that an important part of who you are or how you grew up? 
• How have you been shaped by your Indian heritage? Are you glad that your parents made Hindi lessons a part of your weekend routine for years?
• Did you grow up in a Mormon household, only recently discovering how people outside of your tight-knit community think about relationships, gender roles, and worship?
• Did you join a cross-stitching club in your county? Did the elder members teach you the value in moving on from small mistakes?

If the prompt is geared more toward your experience engaging with others on topics that are important to you, think about times when you’ve taken a stand or challenged someone. How do you converse with people who have very different worldviews and perspectives? How do you show up to have the hard uncomfortable conversations, and how do you add a seat to the table for those who have been historically excluded?

Some examples for Engagement-Oriented Diversity Essays:

• After your friend called you out for an insensitive remark you made in passing, did you read articles to better understand his perspective? Did you apologize for offending him? How would you handle the situation differently if it happened again?
• When politics came up at Cousin Wyatt’s wedding last year, did you advocate for the issues that are important to you? How did you engage your relatives in a meaningful way in the midst of celebration?
• When confronted by counter-protesters at a march or rally, how did you respond? Would you react differently or the same next time? Why?

A word of caution (which applies to any diversity-related essay): remember that people who are different from you were not put on this earth to educate you. Push yourself to consider the value of being around people who are fundamentally different from you and what you have done to self-educate and contribute to your community.

And don’t be afraid to share your response with a trusted friend or teacher to get a fresh perspective!

About Kat Stubing

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Our Supplemental Essay Guide is an excellent resource.

Written by Kat Stubing

Category: Essay Resources , Essay Tips , Essay Writing

Tags: diversity , diversity essay

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• Medical School Application

The Secret to Writing an Excellent Secondary Diversity Essay

With expert tips and 3 sample essays.

Even though diversity secondary essays are increasingly common in medical school (and other disciplines), some students think that they can dismiss them because they are typically optional. While this is an understandable misapprehension, students should take advantage of this prompt to give the admissions committee a better view of themselves as an applicant. Many  medical school secondary essay  prompts ask students to discuss what they can bring to the incoming class. "Diversity" doesn't refer only to marginalized or underrepresented groups; we all have qualities that differentiate us from others. Asking students to write about their experiences with diversity isn't meant to exclude those traditionally well represented in higher education, and thinking about diversity "broadly defined" offers opportunities to reflect on your unique traits, experiences, and identity. Also, read our two samples of diversity secondary essays for medical school!

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

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Article Contents 16 min read

What is "diversity".

There are many misconceptions regarding the diversity secondary essay – a now-common essay prompt for medical schools and professional programs of all sorts. In particular, some critics assume that “diversity” is a kind of politically correct code word, and – stemming from a similar misunderstanding – some assume that if they are part of a “majority” (whether this means ethnic majority, linguistic majority, or even a majority within a discipline), then that means they can’t be “diverse.” These are both incredibly unfortunate and carry a wealth of assumptions that need to be addressed before discussing how to write a great secondary essay on the topic of diversity.

Consider the qualities of a sound definition of diversity:

1. Diversity is multi-definitional

Diversity does not necessarily (or exclusively) refer to religious, ethnic, cultural, or linguistic minorities. Yes, such applicants would indeed be diverse and would contribute to the diversity of a school or program and advocating for traditionally underrepresented or marginalized peoples in academia is a worthwhile task pursued by many institutions.

However, there are any number of other identities and designators you might apply to yourself that act as distinguishing features. If you’re a returning student, a parent, or a non-traditional applicant, those are “diverse” attributes on a university campus. If you’ve served in the military, for example, that would be considered a “diverse” attribute.

Let’s see some examples of diversity:

• You’re someone with a disability or unique health challenges
• You’re the first person in your family to pursue higher education
• You come from a lower socioeconomic background
• You’re from a rural area
• You’re multilingual (either by choice or by necessity)

In short, “diversity” isn’t just some kind of PC buzzword (not that this would necessarily be a bad thing); seeking reflections on diversity, along with diverse candidates, is a genuine effort on the part of institutions to bring a variety of voices into the intellectual arena of academia. The more kinds of voices we have in our institutions, the more robust, nuanced, and intersectional that education becomes. 

It wasn’t all that long ago that campuses were nearly exclusively dominated by a relatively homogeneous demographic – this isn’t meant as a contentious statement, it’s a simple statement of fact. Today’s campus makeup is considerably different from that of even 50 years ago, and the ways in which we understand what constitutes “diversity” expand continuously. That means that there is an array of experiences, perspectives, worldviews, and intellectual positions in contemporary academe, and our institutions are all the better for prioritizing such a plethora of voices.

3. Everyone has “diverse” experiences

That leads us to the third point: the misconception that if you are a candidate from a majority demographic in your country, or if you are part of a well-represented demographic group within a particular discipline, you would not qualify as “diverse” and wouldn’t have anything to contribute to an essay on diversity. However, the idea that “diversity” simply refers to, say, racialized minorities, is a very narrow assumption, indeed, and one that does a disservice to the spectrum of human experience and the value of such experience in our educational institutions. You can be a member of the “majority” culture, linguistic group, religion, etc., and still have experiences that differentiate you from others.

To expand this view, let’s start by looking at Stanford Medical School ’s recent secondary essay prompt on diversity:

\u201cThe Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share  unique, personally important, and\/or challenging factors in your background , such as the  quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences . Please discuss how such factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine.\u201d ","label":"Diversity Secondary Essay Prompt","title":"Diversity Secondary Essay Prompt"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

This broad understanding of what constitutes “diversity” offers everyone an opportunity to reflect on the uniqueness of their own situation and life experiences. Who among us wouldn’t be able to connect to at least one of these categories? All of us have faced challenges in our lives; all of us have lived through “personally important” experiences; all of us have “life or work experiences”; and none of us have lived any of these in ways completely identical to others. This is in no way to diminish some of the specific challenges faced by minority or underrepresented groups (in fact, helping to ensure equitable access to higher education, regardless of social status or cultural background, is one of our   core values and driving philosophies here at BeMo !). The point, rather, is simply to open up our understanding of “diversity” as a multifaceted term without one specific, universal definition.

We still have a way to go in terms of creating a truly equal – and equitable – society, and there is no sensible person who could deny that some people and groups have had advantages within our social structures, including general and higher education, which have been denied to others. Indeed, universities have historically (and somewhat paradoxically) both maintained and challenged such divisions, and the push for diverse campuses is one method of trying to counterbalance long-standing inequities. Reflecting on the notion of “diversity” from a different perspective, however, gives us the opportunity to consider the multilayered issue of identity itself. The idea of a “center” or “majority” is somewhat insufficient, when we step back and contemplate the vast wealth of human experiences. 

The “secret” to writing a good diversity essay is recognizing that “diversity” can refer to any of those things that make you “ you. ” Anything that makes you interesting, any terms you use to describe yourself, can be “diverse.” If you’re a middle-class, heterosexual, white, male-identifying individual from a mid-sized city, who went to standard public schools, got average grades, and goes home to do laundry every weekend (an admitted caricature of a “majority” in North America), there are still unique, defining elements that make you who you are.

From a slightly different perspective, if you feel that you are from a background that is already heavily represented in the area you want to study, that doesn’t mean that you don’t manifest diversity in any number of other ways. Think about the landmark moments in your life: events, achievements, or challenges that shaped how you think about the world and about yourself. No one has lived exactly those events, experiences, or challenges in precisely the same way as you. Think about your values and priorities and the reasons behind them. No one holds exactly these same values and priorities for the same reasons as you.

The point here is that  everyone  has something – some set of qualities, perspectives, and experiences – that makes them who they are. This can be the focus of your diversity essay.

Want more tips and secondary essay examples? Watch this video!

How Important Is Writing a Diversity Secondary Essay?

There are a number of reasons why writing a diversity Secondary Essay is important. Not every medical school requires applicants to write a diversity secondary essay, but submitting one can attract the attention of the admissions committee. Here are a few reasons why you should write the diversity secondary essay for a more impactful application:

1. To show that your values align with the school’s

The first and most important reason why you should consider a diversity secondary essay a requirement, even when it’s listed as optional, is because it’s an opportunity to show that your values align with theirs. For instance, notice the explicit mention of diversity in Yale Medical School’s mission statement:        

“Yale School of Medicine educates and nurtures creative leaders in medicine and science, promoting curiosity and critical inquiry in an inclusive environment enriched by diversity. We advance discovery and innovation fostered by partnerships across the University, our local community, and the world. We care for patients with compassion and commit to improving the health of all people.”

Most medical schools make diversity an integral part of their mission and growth plans. If you can elicit your definition of diversity and what it means to you, you’re showing the admissions committee that you have the potential to be a valuable contributor to the school’s culture and community.

2. You can show personality

Medical schools know that people are more than just their stats. That’s why secondary essays, resumes, and personal statements are part of the application process. Medical schools want to get to know the person behind the application because qualitative traits tell a story about who you are as a person. Diversity essays are an opportunity to introduce yourself on a more intimate level; you can explain where you came from, or how a formative experience shaped you as a prospective medical school student. Don’t underestimate the explanatory power of the diversity secondary essay; use it to show the admissions committee that you’re a resilient, prepared candidate.

3. You might have some explaining to do

Sometimes, diversity secondary essay prompts are more open-ended; in other words, they don’t explicitly mention diversity. Rather, they might ask the applicant to mention anything else they might like the admissions committee to know regarding academic records, or if there’s an important aspect of their background they think the committee should consider. You might think that your circumstances are extraneous; on the contrary, you can use the diversity essay to explain gaps in your academic background, interesting or influential experiences, or to simply give the committee a better view of who you are. If you look at your application holistically and identify valuable information you think is missing, take the opportunity to rectify those gaps in the body of this prompt.

Building on the above observations, the first step in writing an excellent diversity statement as part of your  medical school secondary essays   is to explore your own diversity (“broadly defined”). If you’re applying to med school through AMCAS, you likely had to write a  medical school personal statement , or at least assemble your list of experiences for the  AMCAS work and activities , which would have required you to think about your experiences, qualities, and overall trajectory as a student and as a person. Similarly, if you're applying to med school through TMDSAS, you would have had to brainstorm for the  TMDSAS personal characteristics essay . Returning to that and thinking through what you wrote through a slightly different lens is a great way of gathering some ideas about what sets you and your life story apart from others. For more ideas, you can always read some  medical school secondary essay examples  that can inspire your own.

While you can certainly go through the litany of traditional categories of "diversity" and discuss ways in which you represent these (racial[ized] background, economic class, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, language, immigration status, disability, etc.), you also want to think about experiences you’ve had that may not be common experiences among other members of your class. For example, all of us have had to overcome things – illness or injury, bullying or rejection, loss or separation, things outside our control that threw us into turmoil or that caught us in a pit from which we had to find a way to emerge. As well, all of us have triumphed or excelled in some way – music, art, or craft; academics, athletics, or competitions; personal triumphs only evident to those who care to hear of them. Though others may have experienced similar things, only you have experienced those specific things in your own way, in the larger context of your own life. Thinking deeply about your life and those beautiful things that make you “you” helps you appreciate all the things – little and big – that you’ve done or that you’ve overcome in your life. Whatever those things are, they aren’t common to everyone (few things are!), and anyone who has gone through them hasn’t gone through them  as you . Only you have!

Writing a Successful Diversity Secondary Essay - Step 2: Reflect on Your Experiences With Others

Increasingly, “cultural competency” is a quality valued by any number of different professions and disciplines, including medicine, law, education, and even business and management. Cultural competency broadly refers to acknowledging the validity of diverse beliefs, values, and practices – especially when they are different from one’s own.

The AAMC considers cultural competency one of the core pre-professional competencies for entering medical students, where possessing “cultural competence” is defined as someone who:

Just as we all have experiences unique to us – or have experienced similar things uniquely – we have all interacted with people who see the world differently from us. Think about such exchanges and what they mean to you, what role others have played in your life, and what role you’ve played in the lives of others.

Consider these questions to help you start thinking about how diversity manifests in your life:

• Have you done volunteer work that allowed you to work with or for people from a different background than yourself?
• Have you traveled to places or taken up service opportunities that let you see other ways of life different from your own?
• Have you connected in meaningful ways with someone who challenged you to think from a new perspective?
• Do you have family, friends, or loved ones who have shown you other ways to think and be? If you have, and if you can articulate such experiences, then this may be something to reflect on as part of your diversity essay. 

In writing, we must always ensure that we are “showing” our thoughts to our audience, not just “telling” them. In this context, that means the following: don’t just tell your reader that you’ve had diverse experiences or experiences with diverse others. You must  show  your readers these things, both with your words and – importantly – through your deeds. This is particularly the case when discussing service or other work with marginalized or underserved communities. 

It’s not enough, for example, to simply state that you have unique insights into the needs of those living in poverty. You need to be able to demonstrate such insights and point to specific events that helped you develop them.

Using the example of understanding the needs of those living in poverty, ask yourself the following questions to test how demonstrable your experiences are:

If you answered no to these questions, that doesn’t necessarily suggest that your intentions aren’t genuine, but it does mean that an admissions committee member may raise an eyebrow as they look for evidence of your claims.

So, to develop a strong diversity secondary essay, you must have the following:

Asking you to think and write about diversity and your own diverse experiences isn’t meant to make you feel like you don’t belong. Quite the opposite. With each passing year, we find new ways to value and cherish the unique experiences and qualities that make up the larger human endeavor, and  that’s a good thing . The more voices contributing to the conversation – whether that “conversation” is about medicine, education, justice, or any other facet of life – the more we can learn, understand, and grow, both as individuals and as a society. So, think about what you have to contribute to that big, human conversation, what makes that contribution uniquely your own, and let it shine in your diversity secondary essay!

Learn more about the medical school secondary essay prompts you MUST know in this video:

Examples of Diversity Essay Prompts

The diversity essay prompts you receive from different schools may vary; that is, the wording of the prompts and what they ask for will be specific to the school. It’s a good idea to read a few examples, so that you know what to expect. While the gist of what you should include in each prompt won’t vary all that much for each school, you might choose to alter the structure or order of content for different prompts.

Here are a few examples of diversity secondary essay prompts:

\u201cWithout limiting the discussion to your own identity, please describe how you envision contributing to the core values of diversity and inclusion at our School of Medicine, and in the medical profession.\u201d (1500 characters) ","label":"University of Maryland School of Medicine","title":"University of Maryland School of Medicine"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Check out our 3 sample diversity secondary essays below. Written for two different programs, you can see how different diversity essay prompts can be!

Diversity Secondary Essay Sample #1

Prompt: “Diversity comes in many forms. How do you think you might contribute to the diversity of the class?” (1500 characters)

I am extremely fortunate to have a strong connection to my roots. Spending time in Italy throughout my life has allowed me to see how the ideology of this culture differs from that of the United States.

Italian society is often marred by the stereotype that its citizens are lazy or not willing to work. I believe that if people look through a truly objective lens, they will see a society that derives its happiness less from material objects and more from love and companionship. Resultantly, there is a monumental emphasis placed on the health and wellbeing of others. There is always time for a family meal, a coffee with a friend, or an evening walk to clear one’s mind. Growing up, my family always made sure everyone had enough to eat and someone to talk to. I believe in this philosophy and view the health care field as an opportunity to help others live a full and fruitful life pursuing their own happiness.

Throughout my life, health care professionals have consistently given my loved ones the ability to live autonomously and be present in my life. It is a service and a gift that they have given me and a gift I wish to spend my life giving others. My culture, upbringing, and life experiences have fostered my desire to pursue medicine and my holistic approach to life. I will bring these elements of empathy and holistic care to not only as a training physician, but as a fellow classmate who is there for others through the rigors of medical school.  (1466 characters)

Want BeMo's help with your secondary essays? Check out this review from one of our successful students!

Diversity Secondary Essay Sample #2

Prompt: “The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont recognizes that diversity extends beyond chosen and unchosen identities and encompasses the entirety of an individual’s experiences. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself.”

Through globalization, the world is smaller than it has ever been, and so diverse that it’s easy to only care for and be informed of one’s own interests. To connect with someone else is to choose to abandon ignorance and aim to understand other people and their backgrounds. This choice is critical to a society that uses diversity as a strength instead of a tool of division.

In my freshman year of college, I roomed with an international student named Jorge who had immigrated from Guatemala to attend X University. We had a lot in common, despite our differences, and helped each other a lot in this transitional time in our lives. However hard adjusting to college life was for me, I saw how hard it was for him to transition to a new country and breach cultural barriers, while also acclimatizing to the responsibility and workload of a college student.

Instead of accepting the fact that our backgrounds rendered us incompatible, I decided to educate myself on his culture. I began reading about the political unrest in Guatemala, I found Latin Hip-Hop we could listen to, and I worked to develop my Spanish to try to make him feel at home. We grew very close and I learned a lot from being his roommate. Seeing his work ethic and commitment to building a life for himself inspired me to pursue my own goals with the same vigor I saw in him. He looked at the opportunity to study in the United States as a privilege and didn’t take his chance to pursue his education for granted. We were roommates throughout college and in that time I learned a lot culturally from him as well. Through our friendship, I spent time with his family and within the Latin community at X University, and came to incorporate many aspects of his culture into my own life. I learned a lot about letting the people in my life know they are loved and taking the time in my day for simple pleasures like a good meal with friends. I am very thankful for my friendship with Jorge and for the growth fostered by our friendship.

My experience with Jorge has made me particularly excited about the Larner College of Medicine, which I see as an institution invested in producing physicians who are culturally adept and equipped to treat all members of a patient population. The Larner College of Medicine’s commitment to improving health care for the LGBTQ+ population and investing in the wellbeing of its community speaks volumes about what this program values. My undergraduate and my own personal experiences as a first-generation citizen in this country have demonstrated for me how continuing to learn from others who are different is imperative, and how an enriching life comes from an open mind.  (470 words)

Diversity Secondary Essay Sample #3

Prompt: “Without limiting the discussion to your own identity, please describe how you envision contributing to the core values of diversity and inclusion at our School of Medicine, and in the medical profession.” (1500 characters)

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of diversity is “a difference of opinion.” As a debate club member and as a student with a fledging interest in classic philosophy, I’ve learned to appreciate the value of a different perspective. I believe that it’s fundamentally impossible to make progress without having the ability to challenge our beliefs and preconceptions about ourselves and the world.

As a volunteer scribe at a mobile clinic, my job was to record the details of patient exams. Most of the patients we saw were middle-aged or elderly. There was one patient, Paul, who had arrived at the mobile clinic with a deep cut on his foot, which he told us he caught on an old rolled-up fence tucked behind his barn. We recommended a tetanus shot, but he was immediately sceptical. He explained that he didn’t believe vaccines worked.

It was important to remain non-combative. We explained that his autonomy was our priority, but there was a chance that he would develop tetanus, which could be lethal. Elaborating, we told him that the tetanus shot is the reason for cases of tetanus decreasing by roughly 95% since about 1950. After taking a moment to reflect, the patient agreed to receive the vaccine and went on his way after thanking us for our help. My experience using placatory, open dialogue is precisely what I seek to contribute to the University of Maryland School of Medicine. (1,404 characters, with spaces)

The secret is understanding that diversity is universal. The definition is much broader than most traditionally think it is; for instance, having a diverse perspective qualifies just as much as other common diversity signifiers, like racial or ethnic background.

Not all schools make the diversity secondary essay mandatory. However, even when it’s optional, you are encouraged to reflect on your experiences and what you can contribute to the school’s culture and mission. Diversity is important, but so is taking every opportunity to use your qualities to your advantage and stand out from the crowd.

Telling means you’ve simply stated a fact about yourself. For example, you might say you’re a “compassionate” person. To show that this is true, you need to use an experience that evinces this quality.

It’s best if you reflect on your experiences with others. Interaction and connection are the two cornerstones of diversity. For example, maybe you collaborated with a diverse group of people in a music band and this was a challenging but emboldening experience.

Diversity isn’t about what makes us separate from other people. On the contrary, part of it defines our role in society and in large or small interdependent groups.

Diversity is about breaking convention; the definition is never fixed; everyone has diverse experiences; and diversity, in the final analysis, is what makes you “you.”

No, each school’s diversity essay prompt will most likely be different. Read each prompt thoroughly and be sure to address each component of the prompt, including character or word count.

It’s impossible to sound self-righteous if you’re being authentic. Pick out relevant experiences and show the admissions committee that you can demonstrate your moral convictions through action.

Image credit: Manel Torralba, via the Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode  

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3 Strong NYU Diversity Essay Examples

New York University (NYU) is an extremely selective school, so it’s important to write strong essays that help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share some essays real students have submitted for NYU’s Diversity prompt and outline their strengths and areas of improvement. 

(Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved.)

Note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be beneficial to get inspiration for your essays, but you should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarize. 

Read our NYU essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

NYU Diversity Prompt

The following essays respond to this prompt:

NYU was founded on the belief that a student’s identity should not dictate the ability for them to access higher education. That sense of opportunity for all students, of all backgrounds, remains a part of who we are today and a critical part of what makes us a world class university. Our community embraces diversity, in all its forms, as a cornerstone of the NYU experience. We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community. Please respond in 250 words or less.

This is the classic Diversity Essay , which asks students to share what makes them unique. While diversity is most commonly associated with ethnicity, culture, and identity, keep in mind that it also encompasses:

• Interests, hobbies, and talents
• Perspectives, values, and opinions
• Experiences
• Personality traits

With that, let’s dive into the student examples!

Example 1 – Life as an Indian-Muslim

Growing up in America as an Indian-Muslim, I am constantly reminded of my minority status. As a child, the only outlet I had from this feeling was traveling back to India; the secluded family farm welcomed me with the pungent aroma of Indian spices and the constant chatter of relatives always brought me comfort. However, as governments changed and the anti-Muslim sentiment in India grew, an insecurity in my identity began to form. Loud riots exploded and brutal attacks on Muslim families made it clear that I was no longer welcome in a country which once felt like home. Living in a world which never regarded me as part of the majority led me to turn to writing as the cornerstone of my cultural expression. 

Reporting through the general and Islamic publications at NYU, including the Aftab Arts and Literature publication, is how I plan to use my seven years of prior experience in journalism to shape the diverse community at NYU. It is imperative that I not only raise a voice of representation for the miniscule percentage of Indian-Muslim students, but also give the larger NYU community unbiased reporting on Muslim concerns. Being a voice for Muslims in the media is essential to combating Islamophobia, especially since 9/11, as media propaganda has instilled a deadly bias against Muslims.

At NYU, where almost every country in the world is represented, I will be able to learn about other unique cultures and expand the community by educating on my own.

What the Essay Did Well

This student does a great job of answering this NYU-specific Diversity Prompt , specifically through their clear, engaging structure.

The prompt is two-pronged. Students must describe:

1) their diverse background or experience, and 

2) how their diverse background or experience will improve the community at NYU. 

In this essay, the student answers the first question in their first paragraph and the second question in their second paragraph. They connect the paragraphs with a strong transition sentence that takes us from their past experiences to the future experiences they hope to have at NYU: “Living in a world which never regarded me as part of the majority led me to turn to writing as the cornerstone of my cultural expression.”

On a smaller scale, the first paragraph is structured by a beautiful narrative arc. This student struggled with cultural expression growing up, so they enjoyed traveling back to India where they felt comfortable, but then Indian political activity made India less comfortable, and ultimately they turned to writing, rather than a place, as their preferred form of cultural expression. Their story is easy to follow, yet detailed, with compelling lines like “the pungent aroma of Indian spices and the constant chatter of relatives always brought me comfort” ensuring the reader doesn’t lose focus.

In addition to providing an engaging essay scaffolding, this student does a great job of making themself seem engaging by sharing their thoughts on the Indian-Muslim experience. Their reflections on the Indian government’s views on Islam, and the relationship between media, 9/11, and Islamophobia are brief by necessity, but nonetheless show this student has strong critical thinking skills, and would have a lot to teach their peers at NYU. 

Finally, the student explains in concrete terms why they would be a valuable addition to the NYU community. In the sentence “Reporting through the general and Islamic publications at NYU, including the Aftab Arts and Literature publication, is how I plan to use my seven years of prior experience in journalism to shape the diverse community at NYU,” they both subtly reference their past accomplishments and paint a picture of how they’ll use NYU’s resources to continue building on those achievements. 

What Could Be Improved 

While this essay is both personal and compelling, there are two changes the student could make to take their writing to the next level.

Firstly, the student’s topic is emotional, but they don’t express much emotion in their writing. For example, they write “the only outlet I had from this feeling was traveling back to India,” but we are left wondering what “this feeling” was.

Some small adjustments could help readers better understand the student’s emotions. For example, they could change their first sentence to “Growing up in America as an Indian-Muslim has been painful, which has made me feel conflicted about my minority status” or “Growing up in America as an Indian-Muslim has been isolating, which has made me resent my minority status.”

Additionally, as they write about the effect of the anti-Muslim attacks in India on their cultural identity, they could add a sentence describing their emotions. For example:

“Loud riots exploded and brutal attacks on Muslim families made it clear that I was no longer welcome in a country that once felt like home. At the same time, the country that is my home has always been fond of profiling my family as terrorists, when they are the ones who force us to live in constant fear. Living in a world that never regarded me as part of the majority led me to turn to writing as the cornerstone of my cultural expression.”

Secondly, because the student does such a great job of responding to the prompt in their first two paragraphs, the concluding sentence “At NYU, where almost every country in the world is represented, I will be able to learn about other unique cultures and expand the community by educating on my own” is unnecessary. We are already convinced that they will expand the NYU community. Instead, these words can be reallocated to adding sentences with emotional valence.

Example 2 – Santa’s Not Real!

When I was four, my parents told me that Santa wasn’t real. This wasn’t shocking because I was Jewish, and my parents never perpetuated the idea that an old man snuck into our house to deliver presents. But, in December 2009, they gave me paramount instructions. I could not tell any of my friends the truth about Santa. The innocence of my pre-K peers was in my hands, so I promised never to reveal this colossal secret. However, every Christmas, I would feel isolated from my Christian friends. Annually, I was told how terrible it was that I didn’t celebrate.

For a while, I felt terrible too, and the isolation only persisted as I got older. At thirteen, I began fasting for Yom Kippur, so I would miss that day of school. However, my teachers would always manage to schedule a test that I would be forced to miss. This was infuriating. But, in the heat of my anger, I realized something. My Southern community wasn’t targeting Jewish people. They were just ignorant of cultures different from their own.

This realization made me value the importance of celebrating cultural diversity. No one should ever feel isolated because of their differences.

This essay does a great job of drawing us in with its first sentence. To most American readers, the sentence “When I was four, my parents told me that Santa wasn’t real” is intriguing. Finding out that Santa isn’t real is a universal experience that binds most of us, so we want to know why this student was told at such a young age. 

Another strength of this essay is the student’s charming use of language. For example, the student cleverly describes Santa: “my parents never perpetuated the idea that an old man snuck into our house to deliver presents.” Similarly, the sentence “The innocence of my pre-K peers was in my hands” is funny.

Lastly, this student does a good job of pointing out their identity. While admissions officers have access to the name of this student’s high school, without being specifically reminded that the student grew up Jewish in the South, they likely would not have put that together. The sentence “My Southern community wasn’t targeting Jewish people” brings attention to this student’s complex identity.

The main issue with this essay is that it does not flow. This is attributable to a lack of structure.

The student begins with the Santa anecdote, which is explored for four sentences (more than a “hook” normally gets), but oddly, does not turn into the focus of the essay. Instead, the student abruptly moves to discuss other experiences when they felt isolated due to being Jewish. For this anecdote to be effective, the student needs to do one of two things: focus it or connect it. 

With the “focus it” method, the student would finish the Santa anecdote, then use the rest of the essay to reflect on how the anecdote shows their values or approach to diversity. This could look like:

“When I was four, my parents told me that Santa wasn’t real. This wasn’t shocking because I was Jewish, and my parents never perpetuated the idea that an old man snuck into our house to deliver presents. But, in December 2009, they gave me paramount instructions. I could not tell any of my friends the truth about Santa. The innocence of my pre-K peers was in my hands, so I promised never to reveal this colossal secret. Unfortunately, my pre-K self was chatty and didn’t understand that the Santa secret would hurt my friends if I told them, and I ended up telling Natalia Huckabee. Natalia’s mom called my mom and explained the importance of us respecting each other’s differences and my mom was mortified. 

Since then, it has been very important to me that I respect the beliefs of people around me and that they respect my Jewish identity… “

For the “connect it” method, the student would shorten their Santa anecdote, connect it to other anecdotes about feeling isolated, then reflect on how that isolation affects their worldview. This would look like:

“My Jewish parents never perpetuated the idea that an old man snuck into our house to deliver presents. Actually, at the ripe age of four, they sat me down and told me that Santa wasn’t real. In that same sitting, they gave me very specific instructions: I could not tell any of my friends the truth about Santa. I just had to say that Santa didn’t visit Jews. 

Each year, I was told a million times how terrible it was that I didn’t get presents from Santa. Each year, I missed four to seven tests for Jewish holidays. Each year, I… “

Either way, the anecdote should be followed by reflection. Currently, this student’s introspective musings feel surface-level and are not compelling. They include “For a while, I felt terrible too” and “This was infuriating.” 

Similarly, the conclusions they draw about the importance of diversity lack nuance and do not show a capacity for deep thought. These include “I realized something. My Southern community wasn’t targeting Jewish people. They were just ignorant of cultures different from their own” and “No one should ever feel isolated because of their differences.” 

Dedicating a few sentences specifically to deep reflection would allow the student to explore their identity with more authenticity and would help admissions officers get to know them.

Lastly, this student completely fails to answer a core element of this prompt: “ We would like to better understand how your experiences would help us to shape and grow our diverse community.” The student does not say anything about NYU, the NYU community, or how they will contribute to the NYU community.

For any Diversity Essay , it is extremely important to write about how your diversity shapes your outlook and actions. Specifically with this prompt, the student should forecast how their diversity would play out at NYU. They could describe their plans to start a club, participate in a specific research initiative, or get involved with activism. 

Example 3 – Doc McStuffins

“The Doc is in, and she’ll fix you up!”   

Why was it okay for McStuffins to be both black and intelligent in her world, but it was so rare in mine? Based on assumption, I was shoved into intervention groups without proper assessment, causing me to avoid participation in class. At least until I discovered my true passion — Biology.  

While my teachers discouraged me from STEM, my ever-curious mind gravitated towards it, yearning to learn more. I memorized each detail of what I was given, grinning as I recited cell systems and organelles. I now hold an internship investigating DNA editing technology (CRISPR), working to alter DNA of ailments through laboratory work and qualitative analysis. Somehow, seeing a 7-year-old girl wipe jam off a frantic doll, convinced it was bleeding, motivated me to dive head-first into the world of science.

Diversity in science is incredibly significant, but how can there be diversity if non-conventional scientists are discouraged? NYU values the importance of diversity, making it the school for me. At NYU I will join Blackademics and, I will form a podcast for women of color to talk about their experiences with commonly faced educational setbacks. As someone encouraged by seeing representation, I deeply understand the excitement that seeing someone like you doing “atypical” things can bring. Through NYU courses like Intergroup Dialogue, I will hold a similar influence that Doc McStuffins had on me towards others. 

This is an example of a hook-done-right. The essay starts with a quote from the Doc McStuffins theme song, which (whether you’re familiar with Doc McStuffins or not) reads as sweet and endearing. Then, she uses a provocative question to connect the quote to her own experiences, which serves as a transition to the bulk of the essay, which is about her experiences.

This student centers her essay around a specific theme: representation. A common error in college essay writing is the failure to stay focused, but she successfully uses her theme to anchor her essay. Her hook is about representation , her setbacks are about representation , and she wants to get involved in specific NYU activities to improve representation . 

Lastly, and extremely importantly, this student thoroughly answers the prompt. She is asked how her diverse experiences will improve the NYU community, and she explains how her experience growing up as a young, Black woman — interested in STEM but shut out from STEM — will motivate her to work towards equal representation at NYU.

This student’s main area for improvement has to do with her integration of the Doc McStuffins hook. Simply put, Doc McStuffins is referenced too much in her later paragraphs. With a limited word count, every sentence is a resource, and the majority of sentences should go toward a student’s values and personality.

Here, we would suggest that “Somehow, seeing a 7-year-old girl wipe jam off a frantic doll, convinced it was bleeding, motivated me to dive head-first into the world of science” be replaced with a sentence describing the student’s emotions about her success in STEM. Throughlines are great, but connecting every paragraph back to your hook is repetitive.

Additionally, the aforementioned sentence is not easily digestible. Unless your reader is extremely familiar with Doc McStuffins, it will probably take them a minute to figure out who the 7-year-old girl is and what jam blood has to do with anything. This same issue presents itself in the sentence “Based on assumption, I was shoved into intervention groups without proper assessment, causing me to avoid participation in class,” which is hard to understand.

Read through your essay to ensure that all of your sentences make sense, no matter the knowledge level of the person reading. Run your essay by friends and family, and specifically ask them to flag areas that they think might be confusing.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay 

Want feedback on your NYU diversity essay before you submit? That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Other NYU Essay Resources

• 4 Great “Why NYU?” Essays
• How to Write the “Why NYU?” Essay
• How to Write the MLK Scholars Program Essay 

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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How to write the perfect diversity essay for medical school.

Reviewed by:

Akhil Katakam

Third-Year Medical Student, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Reviewed: 5/19/23

Wondering how to write the perfect diversity essay for medical school? Stick around to find out our top tips!

The medical school admissions process is becoming increasingly holistic. Admissions committees look at more than just your GPA and extracurricular activities to decide your candidacy.

There is a significant need to diversify the medical field, so various other selection factors play an important role in your success. Many medical schools require secondary essays as part of their application materials to help them assess candidates’ strengths, desirable qualities, experiences, and insights. 

Some schools require the medical school diversity essay, so it’s essential to understand the ins and outs of what makes a compelling essay stand out. This blog will review the definition of diversity in the context of medical school applications and provide examples of prompts from top schools. 

You will also learn how to write a diversity essay, including tips on what to include and the proper format to follow. Lastly, we’ll provide an example that tells an interesting story and connects a candidate’s diversity with a medical school’s mission and vision.

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

What is a Diversity Essay for Medical School?

A diversity essay is required or recommended for many medical school secondary applications . In the cases that the diversity essay is recommended, you should still consider it as a requirement, as submitting additional, strong materials maximize your chances of acceptance. 

Admissions committees matriculate well-rounded, diverse, and experienced candidates , so sending more materials will help them gain a better overview of your unique background. 

If you look at medical school websites, there is a common theme among mission and vision statements: diversity. This is because the medical field needs to diversify health care practitioners who can empathize with and effectively treat various types of patient populations.

Some schools even have separate diversity statements that show their ongoing commitment to matriculate a diverse student body, representing every race, religion, sexual orientation, identity, educational/professional background, and more. 

In fact, admissions committees are even seriously considering and matriculating non-traditional applicants from non-science backgrounds to further serve the benefits of diversity in medicine. 

What Counts as Diversity?

If you’re worried that you don’t count as a diverse candidate because you don’t belong to a historically underrepresented group, cast your concerns aside. Diversity in the context of diversity essays for medical school is not a code word to only matriculate ethnic or racial minorities. 

Yes, candidates from minority groups are diverse and are encouraged to apply to medical school, but diversity doesn’t end there. Rather, diversity is broadly defined to include many categories. Everyone is diverse because everyone has their own unique experiences and backgrounds to draw from, which is valuable in healthcare.

There are many distinguishing factors and characteristics that can make candidates diverse:

• Non-traditional applicants (2 or more gap years before med school)
• Candidates who are non-science majors
• Career changers
• Candidates with a disability
• Historically underrepresented groups (racial, ethnic, gender and gender identity, linguistic, sexual orientation, religion, and more)
• Older returning students
• Applicants with military service
• Parents returning to the workforce
• Candidates who overcome extreme challenges and adversity
• Applicants with a difficult socioeconomic background

If you broaden your understanding of diversity to include your unique learning experiences and worldviews, you will have a plethora of examples to choose from to write a powerful diversity essay. 

Examples of Diversity Essay Prompts

The following are previous diversity essay prompts from top medical schools to give you an idea of what a diversity essay prompt looks like . You’ll notice there is a similar thread in all of these prompts: medical schools want to know about your diversity in broadly defined terms, and most importantly, how it will enhance the school’s mission, vision, and student body.

Prompt: Stanford University School of Medicine

“ The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important and/or challenging factors in your background which may include such discussions as the quality of your early education, gender, sexual orientation, any physical challenges, and life or work experiences. Please describe how these factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and may help you to uniquely contribute to the Stanford learning environment.”

Prompt: Wake Forest School of Medicine

“We seek to train physicians who can connect with diverse patient populations with whom they may not share a similar background. Tell us about an experience that has broadened your own worldview or enhanced your ability to understand those unlike yourself and what you learned from it.”

Prompt: Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont

 “The Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont recognizes that diversity extends beyond chosen and unchosen identities and encompasses the entirety of an individual’s experiences. Reflect on a time you learned something from someone or a group of people who are unlike yourself.”

Prompt: Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

 “Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician?”

Prompt :University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine

“At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity. Our mission statement is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. In particular, it highlights the value we place on diversity since we regard the diversity of entering class as essential for educational excellence. Please write an essay on how you would enhance diversity at Pritzker and advance the Pritzker mission.”

 Use our tool to discover every U.S. medical school’s secondary essay prompts! 

How to Write a Diversity Essay

If you’re having trouble figuring out how to write a diversity essay, take the following steps:

1. Identify What Makes You Unique

First, before you even begin to write, brainstorm the things in your background that make you unique. In particular, think about your education, work experience, extracurricular activities, upbringing, family life, and other aspects of your journey to medical school.

Brainstorming ideas is meant to get your creative juices flowing. At this point, don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or sentence structure. Your goal is to get as many ideas on paper as possible so that you can begin to craft a story that uses one to three examples for your diversity essay.

You can ask yourself the following questions to get started:

• Who are you at your core, at your best self?
• What experiences have defined you?
• How do you identify yourself, and how does this differ from society’s expectations of your identity?
• How have you overcome challenges, adversity, or rejection?
• Where did you grow up, and what was it like to live there? How do your geographic roots inform your worldview?
• What was your family life like?
• Have you faced a disability, injury, or illness? What did you learn, and how did you overcome these challenges?
• Are you a part of any teams, groups, or organizations? How have they contributed to your interpersonal skills?

Remember, admissions committees are interested in your story. You should never falsify information in your essays. Write what you know!

2. Pick 1-3 Meaningful Experiences to Potentially Write About

A compelling diversity essay consists of one or a few meaningful experiences instead of overloading the essay with brief mentions of too many examples. You should prioritize quality over quantity and weave a story that’s memorable to the admissions committee.

You should also be mindful of character limits. Every school has different requirements, so be sure you achieve the minimum character count and stay within the upper limits. 

3. Outline the Structure of Your Diversity Essay

No matter the length of your secondary essays , you should always structure it with the following: 

• An introduction that hooks the reader. 
• A body that details your experience(s). 
• A conclusion that concisely ties everything together with the school’s mission.

The introduction should begin to tell your main story. It should introduce your main talking points so that the reader knows what to expect in the essay. Strong introductions often have a hook, which can appear as the beginning of an interesting and evocative anecdote.

The body of your diversity essay should delve into your unique experience through reflective storytelling . Here is where you will go into compelling details about your examples. The body will also demonstrate how your diversity will be an asset to the school and your peers and colleagues. 

It’s also important to show rather than tell. For example, rather than list all of the personal characteristics that make you diverse, use imagery and storytelling to show these personal characteristics in action. 

Finally, the conclusion should neatly tie in your meaningful and diverse experiences to the pursuit of medicine. Your last sentences should leave the reader with a strong impression of why your diversity will be an asset to the school.

4. Write the First Draft

Draw from your notes and outlines to write the first draft. Excellent writing involves an evolution of multiple drafts, so don’t be discouraged if the first draft isn’t perfect. 

You’re not striving for perfection here—you’re still in the beginning stages, so you should prioritize fully addressing the essay prompt with strong examples from your diverse background. Polishing your first draft can come later.

5. Revise and Edit Your Diversity Essay

Go over your draft with a critical eye. Ensure that all prompt components are thoroughly answered, check for spelling and grammatical mistakes, and proofread for proper syntax and sentence structure. 

Look at the flow of your essay. The transitions from introduction, to the body, to the conclusion should be seamless and make sense. If you’re writing about a few experiences, ensure that they make sequential and logical sense. The transitions should feel natural, not jarring or out of place.

Have someone else look at your essay to offer objective feedback. This can be a trusted friend, family member, instructor, employer, peer, or mentor. Be open to constructive criticism and revise any areas that need improvement or further clarification/elaboration. 

Diversity Essay Examples

The following diversity essay examples both tell compelling and memorable stories. As you read, consider how the essay transports you to another location and invites you to view medicine and health care from a unique perspective. 

Note how the essay ties into the school’s mission, vision, and goals for diversifying health care. Finally, consider the overall structure of the essay: there is a tangible introduction, body, and conclusion.

“Being South Asian, I have firsthand knowledge of what it means not to access basic health care. As a child, my mother took me to Pakistan every year, where I spent summers with my grandfather, a top pediatrician in the nation. He had a free clinic attached to his home in Faisalabad, and his practice was so renowned and respected that people from all over the country would travel great distances to have my grandfather treat their children.  Pakistan is a third-world country where a significant part of the population remains illiterate and uneducated due to the lack of resources and opportunities. This population is the most vulnerable, with extremely high numbers of infectious disease and mortality rates. Yet, it is entirely underserved. With the lack of hospitals, clinics, and doctor’s offices in rural Pakistan, parents of ailing children must travel great distances and wait in long lines to receive proper health care.  Every summer at my grandfather’s clinic, from ages five to 17, my job was to open the doors to long lines of tired, hungry, and thirsty parents with their sick children. I would pass out bottled water and pieces of fruit. I would record names, where the patients came from, and the reasons for their visits. I would scurry back inside with the information for my grandfather to assess, and then he’d send me running back out again to let the next family inside. I learned in my formative years how to communicate with diverse patient populations with special needs and a lack of basic necessities. I learned to listen to every family’s unique reasons for their visit, and some of their desperation and pleading for the lives of their children will stay with me forever. When I get into medical school, I hope to share the story of how Gulzarah carried her dehydrated daughter for 12 miles in the Pakistani summer heat without rest (thanks to my grandfather, she later made a full recovery). I want to tell my peers that doctors like my grandfather are not only healers in biology but healers in the spirit by the way he made up heroic songs for the children and sang the fear out of their hearts. I want to show my peers that patients are unique individuals who have suffered and sacrificed to trust us with their health care, so we must honor their trust by providing quality treatment and empathy. My formative experiences in pediatrics contributed to my globally conscious mindset, and I look forward to sharing these diverse insights in my medical career.”

Example 2: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

“‘911 operator, what’s your emergency?’ ‘My friend has just been shot and he is not moving!’ ‘Is he breathing?’ ‘I don't think so!’ ‘Are you hurt?’ ‘No.’ ‘Stay there, the paramedics are on their way.’  ‍ On April 10th 2003, at approximately 11pm, my best friend Kevin and I, intending to see a movie, headed out my front door. We never made it to see a horror movie; but our night was nothing close to mundane, when we became innocent victims to gang crossfire. As we descended my front door stairs two gunshots were fired and one person fell to the floor. Kevin was shot! I vividly recall holding him in my arms, and while he lost blood I almost lost my mind. All I wanted was to help, but there was nothing I could do. At 1am that morning Kevin's family and I sat in the emergency waiting room at Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, hoping and praying that the chief surgeon would bring us good news. While this event started me on my quest to become a medical doctor, at that moment all I could envision was a life of despondency.  ‍ According to author Jennifer Holloway, ‘tragedy is a substance which can ignite the soul.’ When Kevin’s surgeon walked through the door of the emergency waiting room he did not have to say a word. Kevin’s family cried hysterically. I, on the other hand, could not cry. As fast as despondency had filled my heart, it was now gone; I was consumed by anger, frustration and motivation to change my life’s direction. The death of my best friend compelled me to pursue a career in medicine. This, I hope, will enable me to help save the lives that others try to take.  ‍ In the fall of this event, I took my first biology and chemistry courses. By the end of the year I excelled as the top student in biology, received the Inorganic Chemistry Achievement Award and was encouraged to become a tutor in general biology and chemistry.  ‍ Tutoring was a captivating experience for me. Questions raised by students challenged my understanding of scientific concepts and their application in patient care. To further develop my knowledge of medicine, I volunteered in the emergency department at Albert Einstein Hospital, in Bronx, NY. While shadowing doctors, I was introduced to triaging, patient diet monitoring and transitioning from diagnosis to treatment. This exposed me to some of the immense responsibilities of a doctor, but my 5 experience helping in the cancer ward was where I learned the necessity of humanity in a physician and how it can be used to treat patients. Peering through a window I saw Cynthia, a seven-year-old girl diagnosed with terminal cancer, laughing uncontrollably after watching her doctor make funny faces. For a moment not only did Cynthia forget that she was dying, but her smile expressed joy and the beauty of being alive. This taught me that a physician, in addition to being knowledgeable and courageous, should show compassion to patients. It also became clear to me that a patient’s emotional comfort is as important as their physical health, and are both factors that a physician considers while providing patient care.  ‍ Although focused on medicine, I was introduced to research through the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation in Science. Here, I learned organic synthesis techniques, while working on a project to elucidate the chemical mechanisms of oxygen protein binding and its relationships to anemia. I also received the United Negro College Fund/Merck Science Initiative Research Scholarship that allowed me to experience cutting edge research in Medicinal Chemistry, with a number of world-class scientists. At Merck Research Labs, I learned the fundamentals of synthesizing novel compounds for drug discovery, and we focused on treatments for cardiac atrial fibrillation. This internship changed my view of medication and their origins, and left me with a deep appreciation of the challenges of medicinal research. I also now understand that medical doctors and research scientists have similar responsibilities: to solve current and future health issues that we face.  ‍ Despite the tragedy that brought me to the hospital on April 10th 2003, the smells, the residents and the organized chaos of the emergency room have become an integral part of a new chapter in my life. On the day that my friend lost his life I found my soul in medicine. Today as I move forward on the journey to become a physician I never lose sight of the ultimate goal; to turn the dying face of a best friend into the smiling glow of a patient, just like Cynthia’s. A patient’s sickness can be a result of many things. But with the right medications, a physician’s compassion and some luck, sickness can be overcome, and the patient helped. In time and with hard work it will be my privilege to possess the responsibilities of a physician in caring for life.”

FAQs: Med School Diversity Essays

Here are our answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about how to write a diversity essay for medical school. 

1. I’m Not an Underrepresented Minority, so How Can I Write a Diversity Essay for Medical School?

Diversity in the context of medical school secondary essays is not limited to race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or other historically underrepresented groups. Think of diversity in broader terms that include your unique experiences and insights, and write about how your diverse skill sets will enhance the school and the student body.

2. How Can I Write a Diversity Essay that Stands Out from Other Candidates?

Brainstorm unique experiences that you have had and narrow down one or two main experiences to weave compelling stories with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. You should prioritize the quality of your experiences and elaborate upon them rather than pack too many bullet points in a limited space.

3. I’m Not a Strong Writer, How Can I Improve My Diversity Essay for Medical School?

Writing is not a linear process, and even bestselling authors need skilled editors. Start small with outlines and notes, then flesh out the essay with details. Write multiple drafts. When you’re happy with a draft, ask friends, family, peers, colleagues, instructors, or mentors for objective feedback. You can also consult with our team of experts to help you. 

4. Why Do Some Medical Schools Require Diversity Essays?

Medical schools want to diversify the field and accept candidates with unique backgrounds and skill sets. These students will go on to be leaders in health care, so a holistic admissions process ensures that the world’s future doctors represent diverse groups, perspectives, talents, and skill sets. 

5. Where Can I Find More Prompts and Examples of Diversity Essays?

Browse the medical school’s website and read their application procedures. You can also contact the school’s admissions committee helpline for more information.

6. What Should I Avoid in my Medical School Diversity Essay?

Avoid spelling and grammar errors, an unprofessional or casual tone/language, controversial or offensive statements, embellishing stories, and negative outlooks. If your diversity essay addresses facing adversity, make sure to focus on a growth mindset, what you learned, and the positive outcomes of that experience.

7. How Long Should a Diversity Essay Be?

Every school has its own character limits and requirements for secondary essays. Be sure to follow the recommended application guidelines and secondary essay requirements, including the school’s specific diversity prompt. You can use the same stories for each diversity essay but repurpose them to answer different prompts. 

8. How Important is a Diversity Essay for Med Schools?

Essays are generally considered a highly important piece of your med school application as they allow you the most room to express who you are and stand out from others. So, writing a thoughtful, compelling diversity essay can seriously improve your chances of acceptance - making them an important piece of your overall application.

Final Thoughts

The diversity essay for medical school is an important component of many secondary applications. Medical schools are increasingly relying on a holistic review of candidates to diversify medicine to better serve global patient populations.

To write an effective diversity essay, think about the unique characteristics and experiences that make you unique. Remember that diversity is broadly defined, so don’t limit yourself to only certain categories.

Pick one to three of the strongest examples that showcase your diversity in the best light. Answer the prompt fully and include every aspect of the prompt. Remember to tell a great story and tie in your experiences to the school’s goals of diversifying health care.

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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

NPR names tech executive Katherine Maher to lead in turbulent era

She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

Author Interviews

Legendary editor marty baron describes his 'collision of power' with trump and bezos.

New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.

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Dive into the art of crafting compelling supplemental documents for your university applications!

🌟 Are you gearing up for Fall 2025 admissions?

As you embark on this journey, understanding the pivotal role of additional documents can be the key to unlocking doors to your dream institutions. Join us to discover how crafting compelling essays can bolster your application and showcase your unique qualities and experiences in a way that captivates admission committees.

🔑 During this session, you will gain insights into:

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🖊️ Tips on drafting standout diversity essays and optional essays.

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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest. 

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application.  The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information. 

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

• Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
• Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
• Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
• Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

• The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
• An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

• Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
• If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
• As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

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NPR in Turmoil After It Is Accused of Liberal Bias

An essay from an editor at the broadcaster has generated a firestorm of criticism about the network on social media, especially among conservatives.

By Benjamin Mullin and Katie Robertson

NPR is facing both internal tumult and a fusillade of attacks by prominent conservatives this week after a senior editor publicly claimed the broadcaster had allowed liberal bias to affect its coverage, risking its trust with audiences.

Uri Berliner, a senior business editor who has worked at NPR for 25 years, wrote in an essay published Tuesday by The Free Press, a popular Substack publication, that “people at every level of NPR have comfortably coalesced around the progressive worldview.”

Mr. Berliner, a Peabody Award-winning journalist, castigated NPR for what he said was a litany of journalistic missteps around coverage of several major news events, including the origins of Covid-19 and the war in Gaza. He also said the internal culture at NPR had placed race and identity as “paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace.”

Mr. Berliner’s essay has ignited a firestorm of criticism of NPR on social media, especially among conservatives who have long accused the network of political bias in its reporting. Former President Donald J. Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to argue that NPR’s government funding should be rescinded, an argument he has made in the past.

NPR has forcefully pushed back on Mr. Berliner’s accusations and the criticism.

“We’re proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories,” Edith Chapin, the organization’s editor in chief, said in an email to staff on Tuesday. “We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world.” Some other NPR journalists also criticized the essay publicly, including Eric Deggans, its TV critic, who faulted Mr. Berliner for not giving NPR an opportunity to comment on the piece.

In an interview on Thursday, Mr. Berliner expressed no regrets about publishing the essay, saying he loved NPR and hoped to make it better by airing criticisms that have gone unheeded by leaders for years. He called NPR a “national trust” that people rely on for fair reporting and superb storytelling.

“I decided to go out and publish it in hopes that something would change, and that we get a broader conversation going about how the news is covered,” Mr. Berliner said.

He said he had not been disciplined by managers, though he said he had received a note from his supervisor reminding him that NPR requires employees to clear speaking appearances and media requests with standards and media relations. He said he didn’t run his remarks to The New York Times by network spokespeople.

When the hosts of NPR’s biggest shows, including “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered,” convened on Wednesday afternoon for a long-scheduled meet-and-greet with the network’s new chief executive, Katherine Maher , conversation soon turned to Mr. Berliner’s essay, according to two people with knowledge of the meeting. During the lunch, Ms. Chapin told the hosts that she didn’t want Mr. Berliner to become a “martyr,” the people said.

Mr. Berliner’s essay also sent critical Slack messages whizzing through some of the same employee affinity groups focused on racial and sexual identity that he cited in his essay. In one group, several staff members disputed Mr. Berliner’s points about a lack of ideological diversity and said efforts to recruit more people of color would make NPR’s journalism better.

On Wednesday, staff members from “Morning Edition” convened to discuss the fallout from Mr. Berliner’s essay. During the meeting, an NPR producer took issue with Mr. Berliner’s argument for why NPR’s listenership has fallen off, describing a variety of factors that have contributed to the change.

Mr. Berliner’s remarks prompted vehement pushback from several news executives. Tony Cavin, NPR’s managing editor of standards and practices, said in an interview that he rejected all of Mr. Berliner’s claims of unfairness, adding that his remarks would probably make it harder for NPR journalists to do their jobs.

“The next time one of our people calls up a Republican congressman or something and tries to get an answer from them, they may well say, ‘Oh, I read these stories, you guys aren’t fair, so I’m not going to talk to you,’” Mr. Cavin said.

Some journalists have defended Mr. Berliner’s essay. Jeffrey A. Dvorkin, NPR’s former ombudsman, said Mr. Berliner was “not wrong” on social media. Chuck Holmes, a former managing editor at NPR, called Mr. Berliner’s essay “brave” on Facebook.

Mr. Berliner’s criticism was the latest salvo within NPR, which is no stranger to internal division. In October, Mr. Berliner took part in a lengthy debate over whether NPR should defer to language proposed by the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association while covering the conflict in Gaza.

“We don’t need to rely on an advocacy group’s guidance,” Mr. Berliner wrote, according to a copy of the email exchange viewed by The Times. “Our job is to seek out the facts and report them.” The debate didn’t change NPR’s language guidance, which is made by editors who weren’t part of the discussion. And in a statement on Thursday, the Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association said it is a professional association for journalists, not a political advocacy group.

Mr. Berliner’s public criticism has highlighted broader concerns within NPR about the public broadcaster’s mission amid continued financial struggles. Last year, NPR cut 10 percent of its staff and canceled four podcasts, including the popular “Invisibilia,” as it tried to make up for a $30 million budget shortfall. Listeners have drifted away from traditional radio to podcasts, and the advertising market has been unsteady.

In his essay, Mr. Berliner laid some of the blame at the feet of NPR’s former chief executive, John Lansing, who said he was retiring at the end of last year after four years in the role. He was replaced by Ms. Maher, who started on March 25.

During a meeting with employees in her first week, Ms. Maher was asked what she thought about decisions to give a platform to political figures like Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican Party chair whose position as a political analyst at NBC News became untenable after an on-air revolt from hosts who criticized her efforts to undermine the 2020 election.

“I think that this conversation has been one that does not have an easy answer,” Ms. Maher responded.

Benjamin Mullin reports on the major companies behind news and entertainment. Contact Ben securely on Signal at +1 530-961-3223 or email at [email protected] . More about Benjamin Mullin

Katie Robertson covers the media industry for The Times. Email:  [email protected]   More about Katie Robertson

NPR Senior Editor Blasts Lack of ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ After Leftward Lurch: ‘Open-Minded Spirit No Longer Exists’

“Now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America,” writes 25-year veteran and current business editor Uri Berliner

National Public Radio has undergone a recent leftward shift that is “devastating both for its journalism and its business model,” Uri Berliner, a 25-year NPR veteran and current senior business editor, wrote in a scathing, intimately detailed op-ed published Tuesday on The Free Press .

Berliner, who described himself as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence-educated “stereotype NPR listener,” gives an intimate account of NPR’s “off the rails” coverage biases – like its continuing refusal to acknowledge the Wuhan lab-leak theory or the Hunter Biden laptop story – to the internal process of meticulously tracking the race, gender and ethnic identities of all interviewees.

“If you are conservative, you will read this and say, ‘Duh, it’s always been this way,’” Berliner wrote. “But it hasn’t.”

Berliner noted that as recently as 2011, NPR’s audience self-reported as roughly one-quarter each politically conservative and “middle-of-the-road,” with 37% claiming liberal leanings. But by 2023, conservative listeners dwindled to 11%, with 21% “middle of the road” and 67% “very” or “somewhat” liberal.

“An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don’t have an audience that reflects America,” Berliner said. “That wouldn’t be a problem for an openly polemical news outlet serving a niche audience. But for NPR, which purports to consider all things, it’s devastating both for its journalism and its business model.”

NPR did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday from TheWrap. New York Times media reporter Ben Mullin, however, X-posted a response from NPR editor-in-chief Edith Chapin, saying she and the leadership team “strongly disagree with Uri’s assessment of the quality of our journalism.”

scoop: NPR editor in chief Edith Chapin responds to Uri Berliner’s essay in @TheFP : “I and my colleagues on the leadership team strongly disagree with Uri’s assessment of the quality of our journalism…” pic.twitter.com/VLz2DOkGvI — Ben Mullin (@BenMullin) April 9, 2024

In it, Chapin also addressed one of the illuminating details in Berliner’s piece – that reporters companywide are required to ask all interviewed sources about their identity markers, then enter that information into a centralized database for analysis. The CEO offered the practice as proof that NPR aims to “adhere to the highest editorial standards.”

“It’s why we track sources,” she continues, “so we can expand the diversity of perspectives in our reporting. We have these internal debates, enforce strong editorial standards and engage in processes that measure our work precisely because we recognize that nobody has the ‘view from nowhere.’”

Berliner’s piece outlined other reporting “miscues,” like 25 interviews with California Rep. Adam Schiff about the Russian collusion investigation that went nowhere and NPR’s ongoing disregard of emerging evidence about the COVID-19 origin and Hunter Biden laptop stories.

Berliner wrote that he on several occasions tried to communicate his concerns to upper management, including former CEO John Lansing, who the veteran editor described as a suddenly vigorous champion for diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives immediately following the murder of George Floyd.

After that, “race and identity became paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace,” Berliner said, describing the outcome as “a growing DEI staff” with regular meetings, monthly “dialogues” and a rapidly fractioning collection of affinity groups who were swiftly given power over language and reporting standards.

Berliner said all the while, his open concerns never got him an audience with NPR leadership.

“I won’t speculate why [a meeting with Lansing] never happened,” Berliner wrote. “But what’s indisputable is that no one in a C-suite or upper management position has chosen to deal with the lack of viewpoint diversity at NPR and how that affects our journalism. Which is a shame … NPR’s news audience in recent years has become less diverse, not more so.”

3 responses to “NPR Senior Editor Blasts Lack of ‘Viewpoint Diversity’ After Leftward Lurch: ‘Open-Minded Spirit No Longer Exists’”

While I too am sick of all the Diversity/Equity/Inclusion’s endless & ever-expanding Gender ID categories & inflicting drag queen story tellers on toddlers at public libraries or the minority’s personal pronouns (BINARY they/them for nonbinary females & zi-zim/hir-hir f or non-binary males) & terms like “pregnant PEOPLE” (so as not to offend a trangendered “male”) on the MAJORITY population, I can’t imagine NPR reporting that the white nationalist christofascist/zionazi totally demented GOP is the least bit rational.

I am an unaffiliated voter and hold many centrist views. I used to be a dedicated and enthusiastic NPR listener and have been saddened by its changes. I used to defend it when encountering accusations that it was liberally biased. Then slowly I started to realize there might be something to the accusations and now it is undeniable to the point I wonder how it continues to receive taxpayer support. Even when I agree with the viewpoint being presented, I don’t like the bias manner in which it is reported. I want my views to expand and I want to hear multiple viewpoints, not the same one again and again. I am saddened that NPR has so narrowed the audience it reaches that it has become a punchline. Due to past loyalties it is still one of my car radio presets and I tap in, fingers crossed, from time to time. The vast majority of times I switch to another station within the minute. This has less to do with the overwhelming bias and more to do with the fact that NPR no longer brings interesting content. It is the same content repackaged again and again. The quirky, upbeat, and interesting is long gone. 

The conservatives shifting to the right and becoming more phobic of every viewpoint or person that doesn’t reflect insular view of “the America they grew up in” shouldn’t be surprising it is what conservatives have always done.

Congratulations on growing old enough to resent change or the implication that the America you grew up in was never as rosey as you thought for a significant portion of the population.

Fair and fact-based reporting is considered leftist only by those who prefer to believe they are correct rather than change their mind.

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