Are diversity and challenge secondaries supposed to be tailored for each school

[sadpremed121]

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I’m in the process of prewriting secondaries. I noticed a lot schools have the diversity and challenge essays, and ONLY those essays. Are these essays just supposed to answer the prompt, or are we supposed to tailor each essay to explain how our diverse background or challenge fits the school’s mission. Also idk how this would work because all T20s have virtually the same missions (research, leaders, diversity)

 

[deleted972488]

I think you answered your own question.

 

[sadpremed121]

I think you answered your own question.

Care to explain how I answered my own question lol

 

[deleted972488]

If you tailor to one school and other schools have “virtually the same missions” then you tailored to them, too.

Do be aware that although prompts are similar, character/word requirements may differ.

 

[LizzyM]

And please be careful to change the name of the school, city/location of the school as needed. Nothing is more upsetting than to write to Hopkins that you'd add to the diversity of Boston.

 

[aldol16]

What will be annoying is that schools will have varying word length requirements for their essays. You might write a beautiful 400 word essay in prose about your diversity and how that would contribute to diversity at the school but then have to cut it down to 250 words for another school. That part is incredibly annoying.

The other thing is, you should at the very least mention "XXX School of Medicine" in your essay for each school. Even if all you can say is that you will add diversity to that school. Ideally, you would find something specific to say about each school, since each school will have different diversity programs and diversity curricula. So if something is more specific for the school, it makes your essay look more personalized even if you just Googled diversity at the school and have no idea how that school is promoting diversity.

 

[deleted688779]

What will be annoying is that schools will have varying word length requirements for their essays. You might write a beautiful 400 word essay in prose about your diversity and how that would contribute to diversity at the school but then have to cut it down to 250 words for another school. That part is incredibly annoying.

The other thing is, you should at the very least mention "XXX School of Medicine" in your essay for each school. Even if all you can say is that you will add diversity to that school. Ideally, you would find something specific to say about each school, since each school will have different diversity programs and diversity curricula. So if something is more specific for the school, it makes your essay look more personalized even if you just Googled diversity at the school and have no idea how that school is promoting diversity.

So, in summary, the diversity essay could be a good place to slip in some relevant students orgs, programs, initiatives, supplemental curricula, etc? (Assuming there is no curriculum prompt or "why us" prompt) Or would that be seen as a pathetic attempt to smooch their rear end?

 

[sadpremed121]

So, in summary, the diversity essay could be a good place to slip in some relevant students orgs, programs, initiatives, supplemental curricula, etc? (Assuming there is no curriculum prompt or "why us" prompt) Or would that be seen as a pathetic attempt to smooch their rear end?

Ya I’m confused too. Like I did a google search and a lot of these schools have like an office for diversity/multicultural affairs. I feel like it would be super weird to bring this up.

 

[sadpremed121]

What will be annoying is that schools will have varying word length requirements for their essays. You might write a beautiful 400 word essay in prose about your diversity and how that would contribute to diversity at the school but then have to cut it down to 250 words for another school. That part is incredibly annoying.

The other thing is, you should at the very least mention "XXX School of Medicine" in your essay for each school. Even if all you can say is that you will add diversity to that school. Ideally, you would find something specific to say about each school, since each school will have different diversity programs and diversity curricula. So if something is more specific for the school, it makes your essay look more personalized even if you just Googled diversity at the school and have no idea how that school is promoting diversity.

Would you be able to give an example of a diversity program at a certain school that could go into a diversity essay?

 

[LizzyM]

Avoid smooching the rear end. Unless you know something personally, the smooch comes off as just parroting the website and we see it that way.

 

[aldol16]

Would you be able to give an example of a diversity program at a certain school that could go into a diversity essay?

Take a look at diversity office websites and see what sorts of events/programming they host.

E.g. Office of Multicultural Affairs | Pritzker School of Medicine | The University of Chicago

 

[aldol16]

So, in summary, the diversity essay could be a good place to slip in some relevant students orgs, programs, initiatives, supplemental curricula, etc? (Assuming there is no curriculum prompt or "why us" prompt) Or would that be seen as a pathetic attempt to smooch their rear end?

I mean, it depends on what your application looks like and what you're passionate about. Of course it's going to look weird if your app is focused on research and all of a sudden you start talking about loving the queer health initiatives at the school. Tie it into your narrative. If your narrative is research focused, talk about diversity in research and what you bring to the table/what outreach programs you might be interested in. If your narrative is about disparities in health and community medicine, talk about wanting to be involved in the free clinics. Obviously talk about something that you actually would want to be involved in at the school. Don't just drop names and titles.

People tend to believe people who have "street cred." If you have no experience in volunteering at soup kitchens and all of a sudden you write about how you would love to volunteer at the soup kitchen at the school, that's not going to hold as much weight as someone who's done these things in the past and paint a picture of how the diversity opportunities offered at the school would be a natural fit for them.

 

[aldol16]

Also keep in mind that diversity is broadly defined. It's not just about race. It's about nationality, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and much much more. Don't feel like you're limited to these Census Bureau-defined categories. If you don't fit into any of these intersectional identities, start thinking about what diversity of perspective you would bring to the school.