You've probably heard the phrase "diversity essay" once or twice if you're applying to college. This style of essay differs from the traditional "Why this college?" essay.

Instead of explaining why you choose a certain school, you'll write about your history, values, community, and experiences and what makes you unique.

In this article, I explain what a diversity college essay is, what colleges look for in these essays, and how you can make your diversity essay stand out.

What Is a Diversity Essay for College?

A diversity essay is a college application essay that focuses on you as an individual and your connection to a particular community.

The goal of this essay is to show how you vary from other applicants, such as what particular problems or barriers you've overcome and how you've contributed to or learned from a specific community of people.

In general, the diversity college essay is meant to foster diversity among students. As a result, the scope of this essay is usually fairly broad. Applicants are encouraged to write about any relevant community or experience. Here are some communities you could talk about:

• Your ethnic group

• Your ethnicity or race

• Your immediate family

• Your religious beliefs

• Your socioeconomic background (for example, the income of your family)

• Your gender or sex

• What is your sexual orientation?

• Your gender identification

• Your beliefs or values

• Your encounters

• Your native nation or town

• Your institution

• The area in which you live/neighborhood

• A group or organization in which you are an active participant

Although the diversity essay is a frequent admissions requirement at many colleges, most do not officially refer to it as such.

The diversity essay is merely your statement at certain schools, although it is an additional essay or short answer at others.

It's also worth noting that the diversity essay isn't just for undergraduate programs. Many graduate programs also require applicants to write diverse essays.

So, if you want to go to graduate school, be aware that you may need to prepare yet another diversity statement!

Diversity Essay Sample Prompts From Colleges

Now that you know what diversity essays are, let's look at some diversity essay sample prompts from real college applications.

University of Michigan

The diversity college essay is a mandatory supplemental essay for all freshmen applicants at the University of Michigan.

“Everyone belongs to a variety of communities and/or groups characterized by shared geography, religion, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, ideology, or intellectual legacy, among other things.

Choose one of the communities to which you belong and describe it and your role within it.”

University of Washington

The University of Washington, like UM, requires students to write a diverse essay of 300 words. UW also guides how to respond to the query.

“Our families and communities frequently define us and our worlds. Your cultural group, extended family, religious organization, neighborhood or school, sports team or club, coworkers, and so on are all examples of community.

Describe your world and how you, as a product of it, may contribute to the variety of the University of Washington.

Tip

Remember that the University of Washington seeks to build a varied community of students in terms of cultural backgrounds, experiences, values, and perspectives.”

University of California System

Freshman applicants to the UC system must select four of eight prompts (or personal insight questions) and write short essays of up to 350 words each.

Two of them are diversity essay prompts that place a strong emphasis on community, personal struggles, and background.

The UC system provides advice on what to write about and how to produce an engaging essay for each subject.

University of Oklahoma

Freshman candidates to the University of Oklahoma who want to be considered for a leader, community service, or major-based scholarship must complete two additional writing prompts, one of which addresses diversity. This prompt has a word limit of 650 words or less.

“The University of Oklahoma is home to a lively, varied, and compassionate University community known as "the OU family."

Please describe your cultural and community service activities, as well as your motivation for participating in them.”

Duke University.

In addition to answering the Common Application or Coalition Application essay prompts, applicants to Duke University may (but are not required to) submit short responses to two diverse college essay prompts. Each has a maximum word count of 250 words.

“We want a diverse student body that reflects the breadth of human experience. In that context, we'd like to hear about your lived experiences and how they've shaped how you conceive of yourself.

Sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression are all part of Duke's commitment to diversity and inclusion. If you want to tell us more about your identification in this context, please do so here.”

The Pitzer College

Pitzer requires freshmen applicants to utilize the Common Application and respond to one supplementary essay prompt. A diversity essay prompt, for example, encourages you to write about your community.

“Pitzer's approach to education is defined by five key values: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student participation, and environmental sustainability.

As change agents, our students apply these beliefs to find answers to the world's problems. How have you connected with one of Pitzer's key values throughout your involvement in high school or the community?”

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Both freshmen and transfer applicants at the University of North Carolina must submit brief responses (200-250 words) to two of four prompts.

One is a diversity college essay question that inquires about the impact of your upbringing on your current self.

“Describe a facet of your identity and how it has influenced your life experiences or daily interactions with others.”

The Common Application

The Common Application and its essay prompts are used by many schools and universities, including Purdue University.

One of its essays prompts is for a diversity essay of between 250 and 650 words. This prompt emphasizes the applicant's identity, interests, and background.

“Some students believe that their application would be incomplete if they did not have a meaningful background, identity, interest, or talent. If this describes you, please share your experience.”

ApplyTexas

ApplyTexas is comparable to the Common Application, however, it is solely utilized by Texas public colleges and universities.

The application includes a variety of essay prompts, one of which is a diversity college essay prompt that asks you to expound on your surroundings, community, and personal identity.

“Essay B: Some kids have a distinct identity, interest, or talent that identifies them in a significant way. Tell us about yourself if you are one of these students.”

What Do Colleges Look for in a Diversity Essay?

What colleges normally want to learn from the diversity essay is more about you, such as what experiences shaped you into the person you are now and what unique insights you can offer the institution. But what specific characteristics do schools look for in a diversity essay?

To address this, consider what colleges have said about college essays. Although few institutions offer assistance specifically for diversity essays, many do offer advice on how to write an excellent college essay in general.

For example, Dickinson College expects the following in college essays from applicants:

“Tell us about your experience.

It's clichéd counsel, but it's also correct. Admissions officers get the sixth instinct about genuine essay authors. You'll get marks for being sincere and true to yourself.”

Writing an excellent diversity essay requires authenticity. Schools want you to be truthful about who you are and where you come from; don't exaggerate or fabricate stories to appear "cooler" or more interesting—99% of the time, admissions committees will see right through it!

Remember that admissions committees read thousands of applications and can detect a fabricated story from a mile away.

Following that, here's what Wellesley College has to say about the purpose of college essays:

Allow the Admissions Committee to discover:

• More information about you as a person.

• The aspect of you that SATs and grades do not reveal.

• Your background, attitudes, interests, and inventiveness.

• What distinguishes you are your ideals and goals.

It is critical to be real while also demonstrating "what sets you apart" from other applicants—that is, what makes you unique.

This is especially crucial given how many applications admissions committees get each year. If you don't stand out in some way, you'll likely end up in the lottery, diminishing or even eliminating your chances of admittance.

Finally, here's some college essay writing guidance from the University of Michigan:

“Your college essay will be one of almost 50,000 that we will read in admissions; take advantage of this chance.

Your essay provides us with insights into your personality and assists us in determining whether your partnership with the school will be mutually beneficial.

So tell us about the academics you want to work with or the topic you're interested in. Tell us about your leadership qualities or how you overcame adversity in your life. Tell us why you chose this school. Tell us about your experience.”

Overall, the most crucial quality that colleges look for in the diversity essay (and any college essay you submit) is honesty.

Colleges want to know who you are and how you got here, as well as what makes you unique and what you can add to the institution.

How to Write an Effective Diversity Essay: 4 Tips

Here are some pointers to help you create a fantastic college essay about diversity and boost your chances of acceptance.

#1: Think About What Makes You Unique

One of the key goals of the diversity essay is to showcase your individuality and explain how you will contribute to the student body and the school as a whole.

As a result, choose a topic for your essay that will set you apart from other applicants.

Instead of writing about your ability to play the piano (which many applicants can, no doubt), it would be far more fascinating to touch on how your upbringing in Austria caused you to develop an interest in classical music.

Consider defining experiences in your life. These don't have to be apparent life-changing experiences, but they should have left an impression on you and helped create your identity.

#2: Be Honest and Genuine

Oh, there it is again: authenticity. While it's vital to show off your individuality, you also want to make sure you're staying loyal to yourself. What events shaped you into the person you are today? What effect did these have on your identity, achievements, and future goals?

Being truthful also entails not inflating (or lying about) your experiences or opinions. It's fine if you don't recall every detail of an event or discussion.

Simply try to be as open and honest about your emotions as possible. Don't claim that something altered your life if it did not affect you.

Finally, you want to write in a style that is authentic to your voice. Don't be afraid to include some comedy or a personal experience. The most important thing is that your diversity essay truly shows you and your intellectual potential.

#3: Write, Correctly, and Cogently

The following tip is more mechanical. It is vital that your diversity essay, like any other college essay, be properly written.

After all, the goal of this essay is not just to let colleges get to know you better, but also to demonstrate a refined writing ability—a talent required for success in college, regardless of major.

A diversity essay riddled with typos and grammatical errors will fall short of telling a smooth, compelling, and clear tale about you.

It would also make you appear unprofessional and will fail to persuade admissions committees that you are serious about college and your future.

So, what are your options? First, divide your essay into distinct, well-organized paragraphs. Following that, proofread your essay numerous times.

Continue to proofread your document as you make changes. If feasible, have an adult review it for you, such as a teacher, tutor, or parent.

#4: Be Patient

Our final piece of advice is to give yourself plenty of time to compose your diversity essay. College applications are typically due in December or January, so it's a good idea to begin writing your essay early, ideally in the summer before your senior year (and before classes and homework begin eating up your time).

Beginning early also allows you to get perspective on your diversity essay. Put it away for a few days after you've produced a rough draft or even just a couple of paragraphs of your essay.

After some time has passed, pull out your essay and review it from a new viewpoint. Try to discover whether it still has the desired effect.

Consider whether this essay sounds like you or someone else. Are certain parts overly cheesy? Could you add or subtract detail from particular paragraphs?

Finally, allowing yourself plenty of time to write your diversity essay allows you to have more people read it and provide feedback and edits. This is critical for writing an excellent diversity college essay.

Conclusion: Writing Diversity Essays for College

A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that focuses on an applicant's origin and identity, typically in the context of a specific community.

This community can refer to race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood, school, gender, sexual orientation, and so on.

Many universities, like the University of Michigan, the University of Washington, and the University of North Carolina, use the diversity essay to assure diversity in their student bodies.

Some colleges demand the essay, while others accept it as an optional component of the application.

If you're writing diversity essays for college, be sure to include the following in your essay to increase your chances of admission:

• Consider what makes you unique—try to identify an experience or point of view that will set you apart from the herd in a fascinating, positive way.

• Be truthful and genuine; avoid exaggerating or lying about your feelings and experiences.

• Write, correctly, and concisely—proofread, revise, and have someone else review your essay.

• Start early, especially by the summer before your senior year, so you have more time to make modifications and receive feedback from others.

With that, I wish you luck with your diversity essay!