How to talk about your identity in your college application

As most of you know, last summer, the Supreme Court got rid of affirmative action on college campuses around the nation.

What did this mean?

It would be harder for colleges to have a diversely represented student body.

Many addressed this challenge by changing their supplemental essay prompts, for example (2024-2025 cycle):

Harvard: Harvard has long recognized the importance of enrolling a diverse student body. How will the life experiences that shape who you are today enable you to contribute to Harvard?

Georgetown: As Georgetown is a diverse community, the Admissions Committee would like to know more about you in your own words. Please submit a brief essay, either personal or creative, which you feel best describes you.

Notre Dame: What is distinctive about your personal experiences and development (eg, family support, culture, disability, personal background, community, etc)? Why are these experiences important to you and how will you enrich the Notre Dame community?

SO how can you effectively address prompts like these and highlight your diverse experiences?

1. Reflect on your identity

Your identity goes beyond surface-level characteristics. It can include your cultural background, family upbringing, gender, or experiences that have shaped how you see the world. For example, think about how your experiences with family traditions, or even being the first in your family to attend college, have contributed to your personal growth. What elements of your identity make you stand out? How do these elements build your empathy, resilience, and character?

2. Showcase your experiences

Think about what you’ve done in terms of leadership, achievements, or experiences outside of the classroom. Have you taken on a leadership role in a club, overcome a significant challenge, or contributed to a cause? Sharing these experiences can highlight how your actions reflect your values and how they’ve shaped your outlook on diversity. The goal is to show how your accomplishments will add to the class mosaic.

3. Express your ideas

Consider how you think and what drives you. Are you the person who fosters collaboration or helps diffuse tension in a group? Perhaps your ability to approach situations with humor or creative problem-solving is what sets you apart. Schools want students who will bring fresh perspectives to classroom discussions and group dynamics.

If you need some more guidance, we love this College Essay Guy free Youtube video!

If you want personalized, one-on-one essay and application help, reply to this email and we can help you set up a call with our team!

Best of luck,
Melina Kazanas

P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We specialize in changing the lives of students just like this, giving them the right structure, mentorship, and accountability to excel in high school...and ultimately gain admission into the college of their dreams.  We do it year after year after year.  It's not rocket science.  But it is a science. 

Our students on average 4x their admissions chances at their dream college and gain $116,502 in college scholarships they never have to pay back.

By Day 7 of working with us, our average parent reports, with a HUGE smile on their face, that their college planning stresses have been "completely eliminated."  If you'd like, you can learn more here. We are very particular with the families we offer intro calls to. Serious inquiries only, please.

P.S. - Have a high-performing high schooler w/ a 3.7 GPA or higher? We'll help get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges...and if we don't get them into at least one of their top 5 dream colleges, you don't pay us a penny.  Seriously.  College admissions isn't rocket science...but it is a science.  And we've cracked the code...year, after year, after year.  You can learn more about our world renowned all-inclusive, start-to-finish college coaching here and to see if your family qualifies for an introductory call.

P.P.S - Our most common question is "When should we start?!"  The answer is, if you truly care about giving your high schooler the best chance of college planning success, you should start NOW. 9th grade is not too early to start! 10th grade is certainly not too early to start! And 11th grade is far, far too late! (supporting data here to show just how much of an advantage you give your child by starting the process early).