{"id":36709,"date":"2017-04-04T07:30:07","date_gmt":"2017-04-04T14:30:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=36709"},"modified":"2017-04-04T03:38:18","modified_gmt":"2017-04-04T10:38:18","slug":"approaching-the-diversity-essay-question-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/approaching-the-diversity-essay-question-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Approaching The Diversity Essay Question"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Get<\/a><\/p>\n

Many applications now have a question, sometimes optional<\/a>, geared to encouraging people with minority backgrounds or unusual educational or family histories to write about their background.<\/p>\n

How Are YOU Diverse?<\/strong><\/p>\n

First the easy answer: If you are an immigrant to the US, the child of immigrants or someone whose ethnicity is a minority in the US, you might find this question an interesting one to show how your background will add to the mix of perspectives at the program you are applying to.<\/p>\n

Of course if you\u2019re not a minority and don\u2019t fall into one of those categories (and those are elements that you have no control over, so you can\u2019t just jump into one of those categories), that doesn\u2019t mean that you don\u2019t have anything to write about. If you are applying to school after having an unusual experience for applicants, like serving in the military, becoming part of a dance troupe, or caring for disabled relative, you can use your experience to evoke the way in which you will bring diversity to campus<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Why Does Diversity Matter?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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 and the more creative the teams will become. Plus, learning and growing in this multicultural environment will prepare students for working in our increasingly multicultural and global world.<\/p>\n

Different Ways to Show Your Diversity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your family\u2019s culture, situation and traditions, and the way they have helped you develop particular character and personality traits<\/a> are of interest, as are unusual experiences that have shaped you. Here are some examples you could write about:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> You grew up with a strong insistence on respecting elders, attending family events or learning your parents\u2019 native language and culture.<\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> You are close to grandparents and extended family who have taught you how teamwork can help<\/a> everyone survive.<\/p>\n

3.<\/strong> You have had to face and deal with difficulties that stem from your parents\u2019 values being in conflict with those of your peers.<\/p>\n

4.<\/strong> Teachers have not always understood the elements of your culture or outside-of-school situation and how they pertain to your school performance.<\/p>\n

5.<\/strong> You suffered from discrimination and formed your values and personality traits around your success in spite of the discrimination.<\/p>\n

6.<\/strong> You learned skills from a lifestyle that is outside the norm \u2013 living in foreign countries as the child of diplomats or contractors, performing professionally in theater, dance, music, or sports, or communicating with a deaf sibling.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just about who your parents are. It\u2019s about who you are<\/a> \u2013 to the core. Your background, your influences, your religious observances, your language, your ideas, your work environment, your community experiences \u2013 all of these factors come together to create a unique individual, an individual who can contribute to a diverse class and a diverse world.<\/p>\n

Writing about Diversity<\/strong><\/p>\n

Your answer for the diversity question<\/a> should focus on how your experiences have built your empathy for others, your resilience, your character, and your ideas. WHO are you? WHAT have you done? HOW do you think? These elements will serve as the framework for your essay.<\/p>\n

Remember: You don\u2019t need to be a tight-rope walker living in the Andes to pass the diversity test. You need to have invested yourself in the world of diversity \u2013 to have lived and breathed uniqueness \u2013 in order to write successfully about how you will contribute to your school\u2019s diverse population.<\/p>\n

\"Get<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 From Example to Exemplary<\/a>, a free guide to writing outstanding application essays
\n\u2022 What to Do if You Belong to an Overrepresented Applicant Group<\/a>
\n\u2022 Different Dimensions of Diversity<\/a>, a podcast episode<\/p>\n

This article<\/a>\u00a0originally appeared on\u00a0<\/i>blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/p>\n

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help\u00a0you\u00a0<\/i>get accepted<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many applications now have a question, sometimes optional, geared to encouraging people with minority backgrounds or unusual educational or family histories to write about their background. How Are YOU Diverse?…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,939,775,113,243],"tags":[829,2086,2085,2087],"class_list":["post-36709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-diversity","tag-diversity-question","tag-mba-diversity","tag-showing-diversity","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36709"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36711,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36709\/revisions\/36711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}