Pitt secondary Q

[gobblety_gook]

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How many of you all answered the optional essay question:

The recruitment of a diverse student body is a major goal of the University of Pittsburgh's Medical School Admissions Committee. Please tell us whether facets of your life and education to date would contribute to the achievement of this goal. Such facets might include your early education, socioeconomic status, culture, race/ethnicity and work experience.

I feel like I should...even though nothing sets me (south asian male) apart with respect to early education/socioeconomic status/culture/race/ethnicity...I could talk about work experience (research, EC's, etc), but do you guys think thats what they're looking for?

 

[Jason110]

How many of you all answered the optional essay question:

The recruitment of a diverse student body is a major goal of the University of Pittsburgh's Medical School Admissions Committee. Please tell us whether facets of your life and education to date would contribute to the achievement of this goal. Such facets might include your early education, socioeconomic status, culture, race/ethnicity and work experience.

I feel like I should...even though nothing sets me (south asian male) apart with respect to early education/socioeconomic status/culture/race/ethnicity...I could talk about work experience (research, EC's, etc), but do you guys think thats what they're looking for?

Isn't that question "optional." That question, in my opinion, is a front for a "disadvantaged" question. Unless you were "disadvantaged" anything you put down might be seen as trivial compared to other applicants.

Jason

 

[Tiddly of Winks]

Isn't that question "optional." That question, in my opinion, is a front for a "disadvantaged" question. Unless you were "disadvantaged" anything you put down might be seen as trivial compared to other applicants.

Jason

Hah! I talked about my experiences in architecture in that essay--don't I feel like a sucker. Well now, I guess we can't be certain about its purpose. But now that you mention it, it does have that sort of... feel to it. Eh.

 

[sockandmittens]

As a little white girl I answered it! I wrote about my study abroad in Africa. If you don't feel like you have an honest answer, don't answer it. However, I found it useful for Keck... and Stanford... etc.

 

[leverp2000]

A lot of the optional essays did seem like disadvantaged essays, and since I didn't have any major disadvantages growing up, I didn't answer them (one less essay to worry about it). I'm sure there are many different interpretations for the nature of the essay question, and if you have something meaningful to write about, it could help your application. However, it probably won't hurt your application to leave it blank. It is an optional essay after all.

 

[jazger]

As a little white girl I answered it! I wrote about my study abroad in Africa. If you don't feel like you have an honest answer, don't answer it. However, I found it useful for Keck... and Stanford... etc.

I did too and I'm a little white girl. Study abroad, theatre nerd, Italian culture...stuff like that. If you feel you are unique in some way, tell them! I would rather answer it even though I'm not disadvantaged than not answer and it turn out NOT to be about being disadvantaged and really more about diversity. But it's optional and you can do what you want. 🙂

 

[fun8stuff]

Heh... an optional essay on a secondary is a way a school screens out those who don't really want to go. The people that really want in, will find something of quality to write about. But C'mon... all of us have facets of are life that make us diverse, all you have to do is put it into words!