The Diversity Essay Question and How to Answer It

Some applications include a question which may be optional. This question is intended for applicants with minority backgrounds, unique family stories, or unusual education to explain how diversity has affected their life in the community and school. Experts from college-writers.com decided to help you understand how to answer this question properly.

How to Show that You’re Diverse

If you’re an immigrant, your parents are immigrants, or your ethnicity is a minority in the country, you can write your response to this question. It will help you address more aspects of the program considering them in the context of your perspectives.

However, if you’re not a minority and you don’t belong to any of these categories, it doesn’t mean that you have nothing to write about. If you have some unusual experience, for example, if you have a disabled relative that you take care of, if you’ve been serving in the military, etc. Your unique experience can also bring diversity to the campus.

For instance, if you’re the first person in your family to get to college or the first who speaks English, it will also help demonstrate your diverse background. Diversity is not only about race, culture, religion, or sexual orientation. There are many things that form your distinctive, unique identity.

Why Does Diversity Matter

Diversity improves the overall educational experience. The more diverse students, the more interesting discussions will be, and the more creative opportunities teams will have. In addition, when students study in a multicultural environment, they can prepare for the multicultural world.

For example, a workforce that consists of people whose cultures were underrepresented in medicine, make an interesting contribution and introduce new treatment tactics. Businesses also understand that their success depends on the ability to speak to different audiences, so schools create a workforce for the modern market.

How to Demonstrate Diversity

The admissions committee wants to know how your diversity elements or experience shaped your personality and character. Here’s what you can write about:

1. When you grew up, everybody insisted that you should learn traditional culture and respect elders.

2. Your grandparents taught you how teamwork helps to contribute to the community.

3. You’ve had difficulties because your values have been in conflict with your parents’ beliefs.

4. How the elements of your culture and misunderstanding from teachers influence your performance.

5. You’ve faced discrimination and succeeded despite it because of your character.

6. You’ve learned some skills in an unusual way — traveling or performing as an actor, musician, dancer, or playing sports.

Even when writing about your parents, keep in mind that the main topic of your essay should be you: your environment, your ideas, language, experiences, character traits, etc.

Write About Diversity

When answering the diversity question, we recommend that you write about experiences that helped you develop resilience, empathy, or other important traits.  Make sure to answer the specific question, no matter whether you’re asked about the diversity in school, community, or profession. Your response should provide distinctive details about you, helping admissions officers better understand who you are. Here is a framework that will help you address different aspects when talking about diversity.

1. Identity

How did your identity form? Who are you? You can write about gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, unusual work experience, disability, cultural background, religion, etc.

2. Deeds

What are your accomplishments?

• Leadership
• Achievements in your field of study
• Military experience
• Research opportunities
• Community service
• Internship
• Travel
• Hobbies

3. Ideas

What influences you? How do you approach problems? How do you think?

Think about the instructions you’ve been given and think of how you can use your diversity elements in the classroom or how you can use them to make a contribution to your community. If your diverse experience isn’t outstanding, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t include it it just provide some insight into your personality ideas and deeds that make you unique.