You can bring diversity to a college through your unique experiences, background, perspectives, culture, and talents.
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Answer: Colleges and universities are looking for diversity in their student body, as it benefits everyone on campus. As a prospective student, you can bring diversity to a college through your unique experiences, background, perspectives, culture, and talents. Here are some ways to showcase your diversity:
- Your experiences: Have you travelled to different countries, volunteered in your community, or participated in any unique extracurricular activities? These experiences can demonstrate your adaptability, open-mindedness, and willingness to venture outside of your comfort zone.
- Your background: Your family, upbringing, and socioeconomic status can all contribute to your unique perspective and understanding of the world. For example, if you come from a low-income family, you might bring a unique perspective on financial aid and scholarships.
- Your perspectives: Your personal beliefs, opinions, and values can vary greatly from those of your peers. Sharing your perspectives can stimulate dialogue and foster a more inclusive campus community.
- Your culture: Your cultural background can enrich the campus community, whether it’s through sharing your traditions, participating in cultural clubs, or advocating for cultural awareness and sensitivity. As Maya Angelou once said, “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.”
- Your talents: Whether you’re an artist, athlete, musician, or writer, your unique talents can contribute to the diversity of the campus community.
Here are some interesting facts about diversity in college:
- According to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics, the percentage of minority students in degree-granting postsecondary institutions increased from 28% in 2000 to 45% in 2018.
- A study by the American Council on Education found that students who interacted with individuals from different racial and ethnic backgrounds reported higher levels of personal and intellectual development than those who did not.
- In 2003, the Supreme Court ruled in Grutter v. Bollinger that universities could consider race as a factor in admissions in order to achieve diversity. However, they must do so in a way that is narrowly tailored and does not use quotas.
Table:
| Type of Diversity | Examples |
|---|---|
| Experiences | Traveling, volunteering, extracurricular activities |
| Background | Family, upbringing, socioeconomic status |
| Perspectives | Personal beliefs, opinions, values |
| Culture | Traditions, clubs, cultural awareness |
| Talents | Art, athletics, music, writing |
In conclusion, diversity is an essential component for a successful and inclusive college experience. As a prospective student, you can demonstrate your own unique diversity through your experiences, background, perspectives, culture, and talents. Remember, as American writer Vann R. Newkirk II said, “Diversity is not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us.”
Here are some more answers to your question
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?
4 Ways You Bring Culture and Diversity to Your College
- 1. Your home life Where do you live: In a city or a small town? On a farm or in the mountains?
- 2. Your customs Speaking of which: cultural customs contribute majorly to campus diversity. There are millions of bilingual families in America—are you fluent in another language?
- 3. Your hobbies Have you been a dancer since the age of three?
- 4. Your beliefs
A video response to “What diversity can I bring to a college?”
The speaker discusses how diversity recruitment has been the focus of universities, but not enough thought has been put into supporting diverse students on campus. He highlights that not all students have had the chance to develop the necessary skills before arriving on campus, and policies such as campus closures during breaks can be detrimental to lower-income students. The speaker emphasizes that the current focus must shift from access to inclusion to support students facing social and structural barriers, and urges the audience to question what else they may be taking for granted in supporting diversity and inclusion.
More interesting on the topic
How can you contribute to diversity and inclusion in college?
As an answer to this: Increasing diversity in college campuses.
- Listen. Especially to your student groups.
- Participate. Make an individual and institutional commitment to becoming more knowledgeable about DEI practices.
- Learn.
- Join.
- Collaborate.
- Aspire.
- Plan.
- Assess.
What do colleges look for in diversity essay?
In reply to that: A diversity essay is a college admissions essay that focuses on the applicant’s background, identity, culture, beliefs, or relationship with a specific community, on what makes an applicant unique, and on how they might bring a fresh perspective or new insights to a school’s student body.
What are the types of diversity in college campuses?
Answer will be: Diversity often means race, ethnicity or tribal affiliation, but also extends well beyond those factors to sexual identity and orientation, income level, first-generation status, cultural background and gender. But depending on what a college needs or wants in a class, that term can extend even further.
Why is diversity important in a college setting?
The reply will be: Diversity Promotes Creative Thinking
Studying among people from different backgrounds exposes you to multiple cultural perspectives. Thanks to diversity in college, classes feature discussions encompassing viewpoints from people from all walks of life with unique experiences and beliefs, many that may be new to you.
How do I find a more diverse college?
Find a more diverse campus. Your first step is to find and attend a college with a penchant for diversity. Not every college is equal in this regard; some are larger, with a propensity to attract students from all over the world, while some are smaller and tend to attract locals and remain tight-knit.
Why do colleges ask students about diversity and inclusion?
The answer is: More and more colleges and universities are asking potential students to begin thinking about diversity and inclusion before they are even enrolled. College admission questions asking high school and transfer students to describe how they will contribute to the diversity of a campus are appearing more frequently on applications.
Are community colleges diverse?
Response: From a student perspective, community colleges tend to be relatively diverse (PDF) environments. The American Association of Community Colleges reports the following statistics about community college students: However, colleges across the board struggle with demonstrating diversity within their own ranks.
Why should a college have a diverse faculty and staff?
A college’s diversity goals often start with a diverse faculty and staff, enabling the school to lead by example. A diverse faculty and staff can give students a real-world example of how diversity and inclusion can create a harmonious and beneficial environment built upon a foundation of different worldviews.
How do I find a more diverse college?
Answer will be: Find a more diverse campus. Your first step is to find and attend a college with a penchant for diversity. Not every college is equal in this regard; some are larger, with a propensity to attract students from all over the world, while some are smaller and tend to attract locals and remain tight-knit.
Why do colleges ask students about diversity and inclusion?
More and more colleges and universities are asking potential students to begin thinking about diversity and inclusion before they are even enrolled. College admission questions asking high school and transfer students to describe how they will contribute to the diversity of a campus are appearing more frequently on applications.
Are community colleges diverse?
Response will be: From a student perspective, community colleges tend to be relatively diverse (PDF) environments. The American Association of Community Colleges reports the following statistics about community college students: However, colleges across the board struggle with demonstrating diversity within their own ranks.
Why should a college have a diverse faculty and staff?
The answer is: A college’s diversity goals often start with a diverse faculty and staff, enabling the school to lead by example. A diverse faculty and staff can give students a real-world example of how diversity and inclusion can create a harmonious and beneficial environment built upon a foundation of different worldviews.