<p>Hi,
I'm about to finish my application essays, but I have a problem writing the essay for the common application. I have decided to write about the title,
"A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community, or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you."</p>
<p>I chose to write about diversity because I am an international student from Norway. I have a mother who's a Member of the Norwegian parliament and is therefore used to travelling and she get's a lot of impressions from other culture, which I learn about afterwards. And I have a father, who's been travelling alot before, but who for the moment works with a project in Ghana, Africa on biofuel. I believe that these are all things that contribute to my own diversity, but I have problems stating them in an essay form.</p>
<p>The most obvious reason is that I don't know how to start. Does anyone have an idea for an introduction so that I can get working on it?</p>
<p>Show, don't tell--are there any specific incidents that illustrate how your background and your parents' experiences will allow you to make a greater contribution to your school?</p>
<p>You could just start it with a description of a related event, sort of.
What makes you want to go to school in America, for example? You could describe the first time you realized you wanted to go there. I don't know anything about your life obviously but there are probably a few events that illustrate this 'international' aspect of your life, and what attracts you to the US.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your answers so far,
so what you're really saying is that I should try to focus on a particular incidence that showed a little of everything, instead of bringing in all kinds of situations which might have had an influence on me?</p>
<p>You can bring in multiple situations, but don't just fall into saying over and over again that you're awesome and diverse because your parents do cool stuff. Show the people reading your essay why you'll be valuable by analyzing how your "diversity" came to pass; make it vivid and interesting to read by drawing on specific incidents.</p>