Question about Diversity/Secondaries

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Hey guys, I wanted some input on the diversity essays that every secondary seems to have.

Is it ok to talk about a childhood experience in the diversity essay (like living in a foreign country for two years during middle school)?

Also, in previous years, many schools have had questions like the following: "If there is any additional information you would like to provide please include it in the box below" (that's from Jefferson's secondary).
Should we/can we write about "why Jefferson" for that question, or is a diversity essay better suited for that spot? Or neither???

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Well, it's best to tell a story that continues until your current life, I think. I have limited experience with this sort of thing, but I've heard these two common approaches:

1) If you lived with immigrant parents or lived in a foreign country, talk about the challenges you faced, how you overcame it, and how you've used your experiences in your current life.

2) If you have some very interesting experiences, that could also be something to write about for the diversity prompt.. Maybe you have a ridiculous hobby, weird job, or some cool accomplishment? You may not have had room to talk about it in your memorable experiences essays and personal statements, so the diversity essay is a great place to talk about yourself more. It doesn't necessarily have to be race or ethnically relevant either. Maybe you lived in the country side and transitioned to life in a city as a college student? Be creative.

I'm sure there's a ton of other things you could talk about. If you're lost, just check out some essays here at SDN or do a google search.


As for the optional essay, the "why jefferson" would be fine. That's what I'm going for personally.
 
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