So I started writing some of my essays (I am a reapp and learned to apply early this time) and I just finished my diversity essay on being gay from a conservative rural area. Talked about what I bring to the table in terms of how my upbringing and sexuality combined make me passionate for decreasing LGBT health disparities. Many schools have either an adversity or diversity essay but some have both. I think my biggest adversity was deciding to come out to my friends and family. I had a big transformative experience from it where my academics increased, I was more confident, started advocating for the LGBT and HIV communities, all that stuff. I dont really want to talk about coming out in one essay and have the next talk about my gay rural story. Would this seem too repetitive? I may write an adversity essay on it to use for the schools that dont have a diversity essay. My other adversity essay may focus on going to a public school that was battling financial struggles and having to go above and beyond to get the same opportunities as others while deciding that I had to compromise my options for college (I chose to do post secondary which was a 4.0 scale cuz we didnt have many AP courses so top tier schools were basically 0%).
Adversity or Diversity essay on being LGBT?
- Thread starter buckoh24
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I just dont want my app to be gay overkill. I have done HIV testing/advocacy, mentor for an LGBT undergrad, volunteer at a LGBT youth center for trans/queer youth. Its def something that really pushed me to go into medicine and something I want to push for in the medical field (increased LGBT resources in rural areas, inc visibility, etc) but I dont want them to look at my app and think " why doesnt he just go into social work/Public health/etc?"
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I've definitely thought about that when I was applying, but for many of us, our identities are an important part of who we are, and the experiences we've had. Some ADCOM's may not understand that everything you've mentioned here are all separate, and it can be good to write them "separately" so they don't seem like they're the same. They may overlap but HIV-related issues can be a completely unrelated experience to helping out trans youth and your work in both areas deserve to be highlighted.
But if anything, it gives you a solid story/angle for your application that is very cohesive and with purpose, rather than a random hodgepodge of activities.
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