what does diversity mean to me essay

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What does diversity mean to you? Sample interview answers & more

Diversity in the workplace. Another buzzword of the 21st century. Corporations have no choice though. They have to promote diversity in the workplace, and advertise it as one of their core values. If they decided against the common practice, they would be accused of discrimination in a flash. And their stock would lose value… But what does it actually mean, to have a diverse team of employees? And how do you perceive such a working environment? Can you thrive in it, or will you struggle?

In my opinion, this interview question does not make much sense . But that’s the case with many interview questions about diversity . You should still prepare for it, having something to say, ideally praising diversity –because that’s what they expect from you , especially in a big corporation. Let’s have a look at 7 sample answers to the question. I include both conventional and creative answers i n my list.

Do not forget to read my notes below the answers as well. There I point out a couple of things you should keep on your mind when talking about diversity in an interview.

7 sample answers to “What does diversity mean to you?” interview question

An enriching experience . An opportunity to benefit from a variety of viewpoints of people from a variety of backgrounds–educational, cultural, religious. I have experience working in a diverse team. And I must say that I grew both as a manager and as a human being in such an environment. Hope to repeat it in your company.
More than anything else, it means to me an opportunity to learn . I want to assure you that I have no prejudice against people of different color, gender, or religion. On the contrary, I try to understand their perspective of life, their values , and learn something from them. And even if I disagree with something, I always respect that someone else can have a different opinion on this or that issue. At the end of the day, we live in a vast and diverse world. Unless we want to live in a constant conflict, we have to learn to accept the diversity of opinions. In the workplace, in the streets, in the politics. I can assure you that I have no problem with it.
Diversity is to me something we cannot really avoid . Look, I’ve been working as a manager for a long time. And I can tell you from experience that in many instances, uniform teams can deliver better results than diverse teams –simply because people share common values and beliefs , and find it easier to cooperate with the same “blood group”. This is no secret to anyone who has managed both uniform and diverse teams. Having said that, I am not naive , and I realize that it is almost impossible to have such teams in today’s workplace. Yet as a manager I try to focus on what people in my team have in common –and it can be the goal we pursue as a team, something that unifies us, regardless of the differences. At the same time I try to avoid talking about sensitive topics, such as religion or politics. As I’ve already said, one cannot really avoid diversity in the 21st century, and I am definitely ready to lead a diverse team here.
I try to look at it more from a formal point of view . Diversity simply means that people from all walks of life and all sorts of background (education, cultural, religious) meet and interact in the workplace. It can be an enriching experience at times, but it can also be a challenge . I witnesses in my last workplace how people formed small informal groups and led pointless internal conflicts within the departments. It had a negative impact on the productivity of everyone in the company… The message I try to convey here is that nothing is only black or white . Diversity can bring a lot of good things to the company, but it can also pose some challenges, both for the managers and for the employees in a diverse team. At least that’s the way I see it, and I am ready to face such challenges.
In my opinion, diversity is an overrated concept . Sure, we have diverse teams in corporations, but we also have a working culture, dress code , rules and policies . Everyone has to stick to them, regardless of their religion, skin color, or anything else. What I’ve observed in the last few years, both in the corporate world and during my travels, is that globalization is slowly but certainly killing diversity . You have the same restaurants everywhere, radio plays the same music , and even in the corporations–most people are indoctrinated and follow the generally accepted code of conduct. There are no surprises anymore really… I find it quite sad, because when I was younger , I enjoyed the diversity of the world. Now, however, it is a mere concept, a buzzword, and it has very little to do with the actual situation in the corporations, or in the cities around different continents.
More than anything else, it is something I would like to experience first hand . You see, I come from a strongly catholic background . Been raised with love, always hanged around with folks who had the same beliefs and values, went to a catholic school, church every Sunday, assisted at the service–you name it. And I honestly feel that my perspective of the world is rather narrow-minded . I crave meeting people who don’t share my set of values and experiences. I may find it hard at the start, but I also think it can be an eye-opening experience . If nothing else, I can learn to respect the others better than I do now, because let’s face it–we live in a diverse world. I cannot stay in my small catholic bubble for a lifetime…
It means a challenge to me. The challenge we face, not only in the workplace, but in the entire world. Just look at America. The society is extremely polarized . People either love something or they hate it–and I do not talk only about politics. Extremism is on the rise all around the world, and many people are killed daily, just because they believe in a certain God or concept. We live in a diverse world, and I find it challenging. Can we find a way how to peacefully coexis t on this beautiful planet? Or will we always compete and fight for some abstract ideals, leaving nothing but death and sorrow behind? That’s not an easy one to answer… and that’s why diversity means a challenge to me.

Think out loud, explain your thought process

Whatever you say about diversity (calling it a blessing, a challenge, something you miss, or something you hope to avoid), the most important thing is to explain your reasoning . There’s nothing like a generally bad answer to the question–unless you say that you cannot tolerate people of other color or faith. That would certainly cost you your chances in the interview.

Every skilled manager knows that diversity poses some challenges . And if you have an experience working in a team where diversity caused more harm than good , it is okay to say so. You just have to explain your reasoning, your experiences, and how you came to your conclusions.

* Special Tip: This isn’t the only tricky question you will face while interviewing for any decent corporate job. You will face questions about prioritization, dealing with pressure, ambiguity , and other tricky scenarios that happen in the workplace. If you want to make sure that you stand out with your answers and outclass your competitors, have a look at our Interview Success Package . Up to 10 premium answers to 31 tricky scenario based questions (+ more) will make your life much easier in the interviews. Thank you for checking it out!

Do not be afraid of a philosophical answer

Creative thinking and innovation is highly valued in many corporations. Do not be afraid to challenge the status quo , and look at diversity from a different angle. You may talk about an extremely polarized society (see my answer no. 7), or even of your own narrow-mindedness (see sample answer no. 6), or even about how globalization is slowly (but surely) killing diversity around the world (check answer no .5 on my list).

Job interview in a big corporation is almost always a competitive affair . If you opt for a safe option– saying things everybody else says –praising diversity and embracing it, you can be sure that you won’t lose your chances to succeed in the interviews. However, you also won’t stand out with your answer. At times, especially when you cannot stand out with your education or experience , you have to take some risks, trying to stand out with your answers.

Sure enough, it may not always work. But being the average one when twenty other people compete with you for a single vacancy won’t bring you much success either… Think about your chances realistically, and choose your answer accordingly. I hope you will manage to do so, and wish you best of luck in the interviews!

Ready to answer this one? Great! Check also 7 sample answers to other tricky interview questions :

What do you expect from your manager or supervisor?
Describe a situation in which you didn’t get something you felt you deserved.
What does integrity mean to you?
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May 11, 2023

Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

What is the diversity essay question and how do you answer it

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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University of Virginia School of Law

What Diversity Means to Me

UVA Law students, clockwise, Charis Redmond, Josh Burk, Philip Hurst, Dana Wallace, Clint Cowan and Danielle Moore discuss what diversity means to them.

Update: The Law School has launched a website for Diversity, Equity and Belonging .

As Diversity Week kicks off at the University of Virginia School of Law today, student leaders from various organizations discuss the importance of diversity in their lives and how it has shaped them.

Danielle Moore '17

Hometown: Miami

Education: B.A. in Finance, M.A. in International Business, University of Florida

Student organizations/extracurricular activities: Latin American Law Organization, president

What does diversity mean to you? Diversity to me means being able to learn from people from all different walks of life. Whether it's a difference in culture, religion, education or background, I really feel like you can learn so much by being exposed to these different experiences and perspectives. Diversity should challenge people to not only be tolerant of others, but to try to learn from them. I think the Latino/Hispanic culture is a great example of why we should all strive to get to know people from different backgrounds. Within one culture, there are no uniform set of beliefs or customs. From Spain to Argentina to Cuba, there are infinite differences. By having a diverse group at UVA Law, students will be able to experience and learn from their peers in a way they have never encountered before.

Your voice at UVA Law was heard when… I was invited, along with other organization presidents, to meet with potential dean candidates. We were able to ask questions and get to know the candidates while voicing our concerns, as well as those of our organization's members.

Charis Redmond '17

Hometown: Prince George's County, Maryland (D.C. metro area) Education: B.A. in Human Services, George Washington University

Student organizations/extracurricular activities: Black Law Students Association, president; Virginia Law Women; Public Interest Law Association; Lambda Law Alliance

What does diversity mean to you? Diversity is more than just integration. Diversity is a state of mind. Diversity is more than just enrollment percentages or a welcoming environment. Diversity exists when you go above and beyond being aware of differences or accepting differences to the point of actively including people who are different from you. Diversity is learning from our differences to make the whole community a better place.

My voice at UVA Law was heard when... I dropped by my Civil Procedure professor's office (out of office hours) to vent about a non-class related issue. I just needed someone to listen, and he stopped what he was doing to do just that. He didn't give me a hard time, but went beyond his job description to give me the support and advice I needed to get my head back in the game.

Clint Cowan '16

Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee

Education: B.A. in Economics and Religious Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Student organizations/extracurricular activities: Virginia Law Families, president; Virginia Law & Business Review, managing editor

What does diversity mean to you? Being different, without being divided.

Describe UVA Law’s community spirit: When our daughter was born this summer, a friend from our small section surprised us with dinner and a generous set of gift cards, courtesy of all my section-mates. Even though people were scattered around the country as summer associates, they took time to welcome our new addition to the family. That's the UVA community: thoughtful and supportive, never too busy to help others.

Josh Burk '16

Hometown: Dallas

Education: B.A. in Mass Communications, Ouachita Baptist University

Student organizations/extracurricular activities: Law Christian Fellowship, president; Phi Delta Phi, vice magister; Virginia Law Review

What does diversity mean to you? There are a lot of different faith perspectives represented at UVA Law. Instead of being a topic of conflict, I have found many opportunities to discuss various religious beliefs in meaningful and valuable ways — not just among people from my own religion but also with those of different faiths. I have found a community here at UVA that celebrates thoughtful, heartfelt discussion. The gracious way in which people share disagreements about serious topics makes this place an incredible place to be.

Your voice at UVA Law was heard when… I took a year-long religious liberty seminar with people of widely divergent religious beliefs. The professors and classmates made a concerted effort to listen and hear the opinions of each individual in the group. Although there were frequent disagreements, nobody was ostracized or made to feel idiotic for having an alternative opinion. Everyone's opinion mattered and made discussion more fruitful.

Dana Wallace '16

Hometown: Arima, Trinidad and Tobago

Education: B.A. in Latin American Studies with International Relations, M.Sc. in International Relations, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine

Student organizations/extracurricular activities: Women of Color, president; Virginia Law Women, admissions co-chair; William Minor Lile Moot Court, presiding justice; Virginia Law Weekly, social media editor; Peer Advisor

What does diversity mean to you? Diversity for me is not necessarily focused on having more than one ethnicity in the room, but also includes people from different backgrounds with varied life experiences. Ideally we should meet people that encourage us to expand our world view, because not everyone we meet has the same background, and we should be able to relate to people from different walks of life.

Describe UVA Law’s community spirit: When I was about to enter my 3L year, I had some devastating news that threatened my continued attendance here. This community — my colleagues, professors, staff, everyone — stepped up to make sure that I could graduate with the rest of my class. When I didn’t think I had the strength to keep trying, people stepped in and helped me. That is the essence of the community at UVA Law. We look out for our own and I know that — I have made lifelong friends here.

Philip Hurst '16

Hometown: San Jose, California

Education: B.A. in International Relations, Brigham Young University

Student organizations/extracurricular activities: Rex E. Lee Law Society (RELLS), president; West Coast Wahoos

What does diversity mean to you? Diversity makes life so much more fun. Some people don't like trying to relate to others that are different — that's crazy. Relating to people because of our differences, not despite them, is what makes the world so interesting and great.

Your voice at UVA Law was heard when…. Before I was even admitted. UVA was one of the few law schools on the East Coast that had a group dedicated to students looking to move back west after graduation. I felt like UVA understood me from the beginning and had a network in place to make me feel understood and to help me succeed.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, how to write a diversity essay: 4 key tips.

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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Diversity Statement 101: An Essay Guide for Champions

By Jordan Dotson
Updated: March 1, 2023

The Diversity Statement, and its close cousins the Personal History and Personal Contributions essays, might be the hardest part of graduate applications. The prompts are so vague and open-ended. They often make applicants shudder.

What am I supposed to write about?

What if I’m not a minority?

Is it okay if I write about my illness and how this lowered my GPA?

For many students who belong to underrepresented populations, these essays often seem patronizing. “How dare you use my identity to pad your demographic stats,” they think. And they’re not entirely wrong. There is a degree of stat-padding involved, though the intentions are noble.

For other students, those who have dealt with physical illness or personal tragedies during their undergrad careers, these essays are an opportunity to show what they’re truly capable of. “I am not defined by my tragedies,” they say, “but how I overcame them.”

For other students, those who sailed through their youth without calamity, these essays can be daunting. They read that word “diversity” and think it doesn’t apply to them. They focus on the apparent socio-political narrative, without recognizing how they’ve positively contributed to communities in which they belong.

For all of these students, the Diversity Statement can be a tricky monster.

Luckily, the Diversity Statement is still an act of storytelling. And as the timeless lessons of narrative structure teach us, all monsters can be conquered by a champion.

This is the key to your Diversity Statement and other personal essays: you must become a champion.

It’s not the story of how difficult or disadvantaged your life has been. It’s not a pity party or an excuse for your (perceived) failures. It’s the story of how you took the resources you’ve been given, and became a champion who makes the world (and university campuses) a better place to live.

Let’s find the champion in you, friend.

What Does “Diversity” Mean?

If you want to succeed with your grad applications, your diversity statement will have little to do with race, gender, religion, or sexuality labels . Instead, it will have everything to do with the ways you’ve chosen, as an individual, to make the world better.

This is why these essays are sometimes called “Personal Contribution” statements. They’re about how you grew and changed and succeeded and made your community different .

Think that simply being a Buddhist orphan will help you get into grad school? Wrong. (Though it might help you get into a monastery.)

But what if you’re a Buddhist orphan who’s taught meditation on campus for three years, who sweeps the steps of Los Angeles’s Hsi Lai Temple every summer, and who mentors other orphans in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, all while earning a 3.7 GPA in Neuroscience and working two years in a lab researching the effects of mindfulness on depression?

One of these is different from the other.

One says, “This is who I am.”

The other says, “This is what I do.”

The funny thing is, the impact of this story has little to do with our fictional student’s demographic label. Instead, it has everything to do with what she’s accomplished. As a thought exercise, imagine that instead of a Buddhist orphan from Los Angeles, she’s a white, heterosexual son of Baptist doctors from Austin, Texas.

This doctors’ son surely has a story. Perhaps it was an impactful teacher. Perhaps his parents resented him for it. But either way, this young man became a certified meditation teacher, worked in his community for years, mentored disadvantaged children, and studied hard while conducting meaningful research.

As long as the stories are heartfelt and real (and not the gimmick of a child of privilege seeking an advantage), the admissions committee will recognize it. They’ll know one thing for certain about either student: they’ll make a beautifully positive impact on a new graduate campus.

Just remember this:

If you want to write about identity labels in your Diversity Statement, it’s not about whether you are diverse. It’s about whether you’ve contributed to a more diverse world.

The Adversity Elephant in the Room

Students with “adversity stories” often get ridiculously good admissions results…but only if they’ve truly excelled in school. Why?

Consider two NYU classmates. Both have 3.8 GPAs and equal GRE scores. Both have published Political Science papers and submit excellent LORs. Both have years of volunteer work in public advocacy. Both apply to the same grad schools.

One, however, comes from an upper class NYC family. She went to a ritzy private high school. Her father is a Columbia professor and her mother an investment banker. The other student was a political asylee from Egypt. As a child, she saw family members murdered at gunpoint. She fled to America with her siblings, never saw her father again, lived in poverty, and learned English in public school.

Yet, both students achieved the same results. Different inputs, exact same output. Both are magnificent scholars. Both will get into grad school and succeed. One, however, had to work a lot harder to get those results, and for this, she will be rewarded.

When we talk about diversity, it’s not our applicant’s label as an immigrant first-generation college student that makes her special. It’s that she succeeded when all the odds were against her. We know that both of these students will succeed. But one of them, we know, is absolutely invincible.

Now, if our political asylee friend had a 3.4 GPA and no publications, would she get the same admissions results? Almost certainly not. She’ll still get admitted, but not at the most rigorous and competitive programs, or at least not all of them. In this case, the inputs are different, but so are the outputs. The NYC girl starts to look more capable of succeeding in intense graduate-level work.

It’s a complex issue with lots of nuance, and admissions committees take great pains to consider the true potential of every applicant. For this, we should be thankful for the opportunity to tell our story in a Diversity Statement or Personal History. But in the end, it’s a matter of how our “story” compares to the stories of others with similar academic success.

The “Upward Trending GPA” Trap

Many applicants use the Diversity Statement or Personal History to explain obstacles in their pasts that led to less-than-perfect academic performance. Perhaps they dealt with mental illness for one bleak semester. Perhaps they’re a member of the LGBT in an antagonistic religious community. Perhaps they grew up with abusive parents or a misogynist lab colleague made their life a living hell.

Often, when these applicants seek help online, they receive heartwarming advice:

Own your story. It’s who you are and doesn’t reflect your future. But be sure to show the upward trend in your GPA over time. This shows you have overcome those obstacles.

While this advice is correct, many students focus on the first part and make mistakes with the second.

For applicants who maybe have a modest 3.2 GPA, it’s tempting to blame adversity for our lack of success. “This doesn’t reflect my true potential,” they imply . “If I wasn’t a victim, I’d have achieved so much more.” Then they promise that they’ll do better if admitted to the utopia of graduate school.

Yet, this is only a promise. It provides no proof that the future will be different. While admissions committees will certainly sympathize with these candidates, we can’t ignore reality: grad schools aren’t charity organizations. This is still a student with a lower GPA who hasn’t yet proven that he can succeed in the greater challenges of grad school. After all, the GPA is the only verifiable info in the essay.

By using your adversity to justify a lower GPA, you force the reader to focus on the GPA as the final result. You make them double-check your transcripts to see how bad it really is.

Instead of showing yourself to be a champion, you’ve shown yourself to be someone who needs to be saved. In this case, the grad school is the hero, and you’re begging them to save your life.

It’s not a good look.

Thus, the key to being a champion is to never focus on the bad stuff at all . Seriously. Never describe it in any detail. Never paint yourself as a victim. Instead, tell the story of how adversity transformed you into someone who’s made a real and verifiable contribution to the world .

Compare the following two students:

“During sophomore year, I chose to abandon my orthodox Muslim upbringing. The struggle was unbearable, I separated from my family, and depression caused me to earn a 2.4 GPA for two semesters. However, I am proud to have made this decision. Now, I am confident that my GPA does not define who I am, and I feel ready and eager to achieve my full potential.”

“As someone who faced the trauma of severing ties with a deeply orthodox family, I am proud to have spent so many weekends volunteering with Recovering from Religion. In the last three years, I have spent countless hours with young women like me. We have shed tears together. We have provided counseling, academic tutoring, and job placement services. Today, as I graduate on the Dean’s List, I do so alongside an army of strong women who have taken back their lives and found faith in one another.”

One of these students is a champion. The other seems like she might be a tad overconfident.

As one dear friend of mine put it on Reddit , people love Batman for his crime-fighting skills, not because of how much it sucks to be an orphan.

Pro Tip: Leave the GPA stuff in your SOP. But even there, only mention your much higher major GPA or the GPA from your final, better semesters. As professional salespeople teach us: “Never give them a reason to say ‘no.’”

But isn’t this just an essay about volunteer work?

No. Not always.

For students who’ve gone through difficult episodes that lowered their academic performance, they don’t need years of volunteer work to prove themselves a champion. Instead, they need to focus on the results of their transformation , and how it’s made them a better scholar.

(You know all heroes must go through a transformation, right?)

Once, I worked with an uber-successful Engineering applicant. He was admitted to multiple top master’s programs despite a period during undergrad when he was hospitalized due to serious mental illness and saw a massive drop in his GPA.

We know that mental illness is a “ Kiss of Death ” in grad applications, right? We also know that cataclysmic grades are usually the ultimate kiss of death. So, how did this student succeed?

In his Personal History, the student was very careful in describing his issue. It wasn’t a “mental illness,” but a “personal health challenge.” When he mentioned this, he didn’t give it more than a few words . He didn’t want the committee focusing on his problem, nor on the two bad semesters it caused. Instead, he wanted them focusing on what came after.

He said this temporary setback allowed him to concentrate on what he could control …his academic career. He described the rigorous time-management methods he learned. He described the egregious amount of time he spent in his professors’ office hours. He explained how he developed the habit of referencing course materials against other textbooks, often unassigned, and how this led him to the curious discovery of his thesis topic. Most importantly, he pointed out how these skills made him a Dean’s List student for his final four semesters, with a perfect 4.0 in Engineering courses .

In the end, he wasn’t a student recovering from a traumatic episode. He’d already recovered. Now, he was a 4.0 engineer who was obviously ready to succeed even further. His traumatic episode didn’t make him a victim. It was an early chapter in the story of how he transformed into a champion.

The 3 Sections of a Champion Diversity Statement

Inciting Event or Status Quo (1 paragraph)
Gradual Journey Forward and Transformation (2-4 paragraphs)
Living as a Champion Today (1 paragraph)

The key to becoming a champion is to show your transformation occurring gradually over time. This never happens immediately. There is never one fierce decision to change.

If a student says, “the day my father died was the day I decided to become a cancer researcher,” then we don’t believe them. It’s childish. No one can just decide to become a cancer researcher. That takes a thousand small self-discoveries and decisions over years. First they must decide to study medicine. Then they take a cancer-focused class with an inspiring teacher. Then they discover a talent for biostatistics. Then they join a lab where they begin to realize they can truly be a professional researcher.

This slow, gradual transformation is the real story of your essay. By encapsulating this journey in a frame narrative, one that provides a theme for the story and ends by emphasizing your successes and preparedness for the future, you craft an essay that will resonate deeply in the minds of the admissions reader.

1. Inciting Event or Status Quo (1 paragraph)

In this brief, one-paragraph section, you establish the world in which you’ve transformed (and perhaps helped others transform as well). You might describe a tragedy in your life. You might describe the difficulties of growing up in an immigrant family, with parents who never went to college. You might not have experienced major difficulties yourself, but perhaps you’ve witnessed the difficulties others faced, and did what you could to make things better. In a professional, straightforward, mature, unemotional, and completely non-melodramatic tone , you describe that world here.

Appalachia is a beautiful place, though not everyone agrees. This is something I often discussed with my father, a coal miner in Eastern Kentucky, after my mother died. Where we maintain a quiet pride in our landscape and culture, the world outside often paints a different picture. They point to the opioid epidemic. They call our people hostile and uneducated. And in some ways, they are correct. Like many locales throughout the nation, the twenty-five million inhabitants of Appalachia have their own problems. Yet, these problems do not reflect the world in which I was raised.

2. Gradual Journey Forward and Transformation (2-4 paragraphs)

This section will make up the bulk of your essay. Even though I hate “autobiography” SOPs , this longer section of your Diversity Statement will show a chronological journey through time. For most students, this is easy. You don’t need to worry about fancy structures or writing techniques. You just tell your story, all the while remembering the overarching theme. In the example above, we know that the author is going to tell us a story about growing up in rural Kentucky, and how the difficulties gave him strengths that make him a scholar with incredible potential today.

When I left home to attend Georgetown University, I often felt dismayed by how freely my educated classmates mimicked my accent, mouthed a banjo melody, or asked if I grew up in a trailer. (I did.) Occasionally, a classmate with a proclivity for hiking would speak beautifully of the Appalachian Trail, a sentiment I share, though the AT lies three hours away in Virginia. No one ever mentioned the way hundreds of people will stand for hours at the church steps on a hot Saturday, waiting to pay respects to the wife of a fellow miner who has died. No one knew that in my high school, African-American, Latino, Indian, Filipino, Native American, and Korean students roam the halls (as well as one Californian who was the true fish out of water). Few knew that the banjo evolved from the stringed West African akonting.

In many ways, these misunderstandings inspired me to work even harder these past three years, though hard work has never been a problem for me. After spending two summers toiling full-time in the same coal mine as my father, Biostatistics final exams, lab work, and waiting tables on weekends are a pleasure. In fact, it sometimes makes me feel guilty. While I collect tips or compare effects of FLASH radiation therapy, I know my father is ignoring his bad back and arthritic knees, on the night shift, but will still rise to attend church in the morning. What have I done compared to this?

3. Living as a Champion Today (1 paragraph)

In this final section, we arrive at “the point” of your Diversity Statement: that everything you’ve done in life, all you’ve been through, has made you a better candidate for graduate school. You aren’t lamenting the difficulties of your life. You aren’t simply labelling yourself as a member of a disadvantaged community. You’re proving that all this has made you better. Here, you might describe community service and how you’ve given back to the world. But, most importantly, you’ll state why these efforts will help you succeed in your master’s or PhD.

Yet as difficult as these realities can be, I know that they will only make me a better student and lab partner at Harvard. I have been fortunate to work as a community ambassador for cancer awareness in both Eastern Kentucky and Northern Virginia. The people with whom I work come from a range of backgrounds, but all share the same struggle, the same one that killed my own mother eight years ago. None of them ever care about my accent. They only appreciate that I am there to serve, just as I will in the classrooms and laboratories at Harvard. Today, I am certain of my readiness to stand alongside researchers of any culture or social class, in pursuit of the scientific goals that most benefit the community around us. In doing this, I will honor my mother, my father, my university, and the land in which I was raised.

A Note on Tone

As I said earlier, you will write in a professional, straightforward, mature, unemotional, and completely non-melodramatic tone . This isn’t a creative writing exercise. It’s not a screenplay. It’s an exercise in clarity and honesty. Don’t paint pictures of the difficult scenes in your life. By telling the story straight, you’ll sound more confident – more like a graduate scholar.

A Note on Time

If the Statement of Purpose is about the future , the Diversity Statement is about the past .

Most universities only want to know what you’ll accomplish in the future. They only ask for an SOP, which is 100% academic, a logical argument for why you’ll make a great chemist, data scientist, or financial engineer.

But those universities who ask for a Diversity Statement or Personal History…they do want to know about your past. This helps them contextualize your future. By seeing how well you understand yourself, they can better determine how valuable you’ll be as a member of their community.

When considering how these two essays work together, think of them like this:

Conclusion on the Diversity Statement

Whatever we call them – Diversity Statements or Personal Contributions – these essays are tricky for everyone. As you begin writing yours, please don’t think you need to fit into some kind of precut mold. Don’t think that grad schools only seek students who fill a demographic quota. Instead, see this as an opportunity to let your individuality and contributions shine. You aren’t beholden to identity labels or the community in which you grew up. You aren’t a failure because of a few dark days, nor are you less attractive as a scholar because your life has been comparatively smooth.

We all have issues to work out. We all have an identity formed in the crucible of our unique experiences. What matters is only that you changed, grew, evolved, transformed, and have now become someone who’s capable of making a wonderful impact on the world. Someone who’s willing to be a champion. Even if your efforts are quiet, even if the best you can do is remain open-hearted and respectful to everyone you encounter in the classroom or lab, you can be on the side of the champions, and there will be a spot in grad school for you.

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What Does Diversity Mean to You: Exploring Personal Experience

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Topic: Cultural Diversity , Diversity , Personal Experience

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