When you’re a teenager, you’re probably too busy to sit down and think about your own identity. No one exactly assigns you “introspection time” as homework (though, if you’re my student, this has very likely happened). So when you start working on your college essays, it might be the first time you truly start thinking about how you can express who you are in a way that will help a group of strangers understand something about you. Let’s be honest—it feels like a lot of pressure to sum up your identity in 250 words or less. But we’re here to help.
There are many different types of application essays you’ll need to write. But we’re going to talk about one type in particular: the college essays about identity and diversity. These are powerful college essays that give admissions officers an opportunity to glimpse into your daily life and understand your unique experiences. For some students, though, these essays can be daunting to think about and write.
Ever wonder why colleges are asking these questions? Well, the simple answer is that they want to get to know you more. Aside from your academic interests, your activities, and your accomplishments in the classroom, there really isn’t that much space to talk about things like your ethnic background, religion, gender identity, or local community. And these are things colleges want to know about you, too!
Related: Common App Essay Topic Prompts
Before you start writing, let’s define a few terms you might run into while drafting your college essays about identity and diversity.
Who are you? I know what you’re thinking—it’s way too early in the morning to get this existential. I hear you. But let’s break this down. Identity is made up of many qualities: personality, culture, ethnic or racial background, sexual orientation, gender, physical ability, and linguistic background, among others. Maybe you identify really strongly with the religion on Mom’s side of the family, but not Dad’s. Maybe you speak a language not typical of folks from your culture. Maybe you have recently come into your gender identity and finally feel like yourself. Why is that identity important to the way you define who you are? Think of it like this: If you’ve met someone new, and your goal is to help them get to know you in the shortest amount of time possible, how would you be able to accomplish this? What’s your tagline? That’s how you’ll want to tackle this type of college essay.
If you're aiming to write about identity, here's a quick list of things that can be counted toward this topic:
One individual person can’t be diverse. But when a college is referring to diversity, they’re usually looking to their student body and asking how you, as an individual with your own identity, can add to their diversity. What experiences have you had in your life that might help you make the student body more diverse? Have you dealt with dyslexia and come to terms with how best to learn, keeping your abilities in mind? If so, how can you contribute to other students who might learn differently? Did you grow up as the oldest of 10 siblings and have to take care of them on a daily basis? What kind of responsibilities did you have and how did that influence you? These don’t need to be visible qualities. The goal of the diversity college essay is to understand how these identifying factors can help you contribute to a school in a way they haven’t seen before.
Let’s define community. You may associate it with the city or neighborhood you live in. But a community doesn’t have to be geographical. It doesn’t even have to be formal. Community can come from that sense of connection you have with like-minded people. It can be built with people you’ve shared experiences with. So, when we think of community in this sense, we could be thinking about the community that exists within your apartment complex. We could be thinking about the youth group at your mosque. We could be thinking about your little group of artists within your science and tech magnet school. Think about what communities you are a part of, and be prepared to talk about your place within them.
You might think that these questions are only being asked by small liberal arts schools—but that’s not true. Bigger schools and colleges also want to get to know all of the thousands of students they’re bringing to campus as part of their class.
To give you a glimpse of the variety, here are a few examples of college essays where identity and diversity may come into play:
“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.”
“Expand on an aspect of your identity (for example, your religion, culture, race, sexual or gender identity, affinity group, etc.). How has this aspect of your identity shaped your life experiences thus far?”
“Tell us about an experience when you dealt with disagreement or conflict around different perspectives within a community.”
“Sarah Lawrence College's community places strong value in inclusion and diversity. In 250-500 words, tell us about what you value in a community and how your perspective, lived experiences, or beliefs might contribute to your College community.”
"UCLA’s primary purpose as a public research university is the creation, dissemination, preservation and application of knowledge for the betterment of our global society. We value open access to information, free and lively debate conducted with mutual respect for individuals, and freedom from intolerance. In all of our pursuits, we strive for excellence and diversity, recognizing that openness and inclusion produce true quality."
Remember what these colleges are trying to understand: who you are and what has influenced you to become the person you are today (identity), where you come from (community), and how you might be able to add to the diversity of their college campus. Once you really get to the core and understand the intent of these types of college essays, you’ll absolutely be able to write in an earnest and genuine way.
In 2023, the Supreme Court ended race-based admissions policies as part of the college admissions process. In other words, colleges are no longer allowed to consider a student's race as part of the decision-making process. That said, students are still allowed to write about how their race, culture, or background has shaped their experiences.
Admissions readers are still allowed to consider how your identity is influential to your story, your lived experiences, and your outlook on life.
Before diving into the actual essay component, a lot of self-reflection needs to happen for students to understand what they hope to write about. Without self-exploration, students can run the risk of submitting essays that aren't at the highest caliber they can be. To help you on this road of self-discovery, here are 10 helpful prompts to ask yourself about identity:
Yes, but carefully. Mental health can be a powerful topic, and with the mental health epidemic in America, it's definitely something many students struggle with. However, remember that real people are reading these essays, and you don't want to come across as unstable or someone in great need of support. If an admissions reader believes a student requires more accommodation and support than is readily available on campus, they may not believe the student is the right fit. So be mindful of how you discuss mental health.
Not if you're thoughtful about it. Kids can't help the environment they are born and raised in, but they can take active steps to reflect on their experiences, acknowledge it humbly, and discuss how it's shaped their view on the world.
You don't need a dramatic story for it to be powerful. Quiet self-discovery and everyday challenges can be just as impactful as a traumatic turning point in someone's life. The topic isn't as important as how it is communicated.
Not if you don't want to. Students should write what they feel comfortable communicating. Don't feel pressured to turn your experiences into a story because you think it's what you should write about or what someone else wants to hear. The beauty of the personal statement essay is that it can be written about virtually any topic.
We say this frequently at Collegewise, but it’s worth repeating here, especially when it comes to essays about identity and diversity. Just be yourself. Be honest, be thoughtful, and be specific about your experiences. These are the ingredients of a great college essay.
As you go through our prompts or think more deeply about what you want to write about, you may have questions about the college essay process. If so, we encourage you to schedule a free consultation with us to learn more about our 1:1 essay brainstorming, review, and support.
In the meantime, feel free to browse our resources for more advice on college essays or register for one of our weekly webinars below.
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