<p>So, I originally thought that listing politics on my application (My passion is politics, and I've gone REALLY far with politics, so much that I've been elected to state boards for it and that is what my essays are about) could hurt me if the admissions officers were of the opposite political party, then I realized that they completely overlook it for the fact that they see it as community involvement.</p>
<p>Then I started wondering... could it help me? Would a conservative, attempting to go to the liberal Berkley, be more likely to be accepted simply because the school wants political diversity? Would a liberal, attempting to go to the conservative UT or Liberty, be more likely to be accepted simply because the school wants political diversity?</p>
<p>I dont know that political diversity is valued in quite the same way. Hopefully, it could be appreciated or even respected but in these crazy times we live, you may also be taking a chance by admitting to be a (gasp!) conservative!</p>
<p>All kidding aside, if you present it in terms of your commitment and leadership rather than making a political statement, you have a story worth telling.</p>
<p>Yes, making no political statements or arguments during essays or interviews. That would completely backfire and the person making the statements would look out-of-touch and immature.</p>
<p>I presented my essays by describing my experiences in politics, and my growth throughout it. I could change the name of the party in my essays and interviews and they wouldn’t know the difference, except that I’m very involved in politics.</p>
<p>You already worked on your essays? It really is way too early to work on them, focus on ECs and standardized tests instead. I hope you also kept in mind that “topic of your choice” won’t be a topic when you’re applying.</p>
<p>Anyway, it shouldn’t really have an effect on your admissions. Unless your OP-eds show close-minded or radical beliefs, you will be fine. Also keep in mind that you’ll be applying during an election off-year, so there won’t be the same hostile climate that there is during presidential elections.</p>
<p>I don’t think your leanings will matter. They will be impressed that you are passionate about politics and have actively pursued it
The schools want active, engaged citizens.</p>
<p>It shows leadership, involvement & may add a touch of diversity to the campus (although I wouldn’t recommend contrarian political views for BYU, Liberty or Pepperdine or other indoctrination-type camps).</p>
<p>Would like Brown rather take student A or B?</p>
<p>A: 2400, 5.5 GPA, Democrat EC’s, Essay based on political experience, etc.
B: 2400, 5.5 GPA, Republican EC’s, Essay based on political experience, etc.</p>
<p>Exactly the same applicant, all the way around, except one interned for Romney and the other for Obama. Both were in Young Republicans and Young Democrats. </p>
<p>If forced to take one over the other, would they take A or B? I feel like they’d take B because Brown is so liberal, and they probably want political diversity. Then I feel like they’d take A because of personal, unintentional bias towards it.</p>
<p>You’re oversimplifying it. Another major factor is political affiliation of the reader. And since none of us know how the adcoms will react to your politics, nobody can answer it. Also keep in mind that if your political experience is that one sided, it probably will hurt you regardless of what party you’re in (it shows that you’re extremely narrow-minded for a teenager, as most of your political values come from your parents anyway). I think Brown would stray away from a radical liberal as much as they would from a radical conservative. Participation in only republican politics from ages 14/15-17/18 does not provide any college with the kind of diversity it wants.</p>
<p>I love to read others’ viewpoints, but I would take the above post with an enormous grain of salt. The only EC adcomms love more than passion is passion put into action.</p>
<p>It seems odd to me that the OP feels he can simply swap the name of the political party in his essay and it will be just as effective. Is is possible to convey passion without including details? Are the activities of liberals (promote ObamaCare, raise taxes on wealthy, restrict industry to protect the environment) and conservatives (limit abortions, reduce the size of government, defend private property rights) so similar that they are indistinguishable?</p>
<p>To ask this another way, would it be possible for a successful athlete to write essays about his passion for football, then change the sport to tennis?</p>
<p>FWIW, I am with dowzer in that I hope idealogies are irrelevant. Realistically however, based on my experiences, I believe many adcoms have benefitted from political correctness and would support a liberal above a conservative.</p>
<p>Axelrod - the comment “other indoctrination-type camps” indicates that you are likely a liberal who disparages and resents faith-based universities (to me at least as I can’t speak for dowzerw).</p>
<p>There are many happy non-Mormon alums from BYU, non-baptist alums of Liberty and atheist alums of Pepperdine. Requiring a handful of theology classes in order to graduate is a far cry from indoctrination. Harvard had similar theology requirements for centuries and I don’t think it would be included in many lists of “indoctrination-type camps”.</p>
<p>Both Republican and Democrat volunteers do essentially the same thing. They both call people. They both solicit donations. They both knock on doors, register voters, and sell party affiliated merchandise.</p>
<p>@RMLDAD: Don’t assume too much. All your post suggests is that you are unfamiliar with the intolerance of these schools for opposing opinions BYU, Pepperdine & Liberty.</p>
<p>I think it is generally true that adcoms at many colleges lean liberal, unless the college has a specifically conservative reputation or is located in a very strongly red state. And consciously or not, I think people like to admit, hire, promote, etc., people like themselves. My guess is that political diversity is not what they are thinking of when they try to build a diverse class (think ethnicity, geographic spread, gender). Not sure if you can take the party out, since you are probably listing things like the state board as an EC, but that would be one solution is to make the essays/etc. “party neutral”. It would be wishful thinking to assume it would play to your advantage at a college known to be more liberal to play up your conservative credentials, IMHO.</p>
<p>I had the same question as you, but I didn’t let it effect my essays or application (well it affected one of my essays, but everything was still 100% true, what I believed, and what happened). Really it’s in the eyes of the adcom, who will tend to be liberal, especially at elite schools. However, if they are normal and well qualified they’re going to look for people who yes may have a political bias, but are very open to other opinions. I literally had my entire Georgetown interview talking about politics, it would have been impossible to hide that I was a conservative and give myself credibility when that’s the center piece of my application. With my Georgetown interview we focussed more on the nature of debates, political discourse rather than ideology while my interview with a Yale alumni heavily focussed on my actual ideology though I originally tried to go down that path, it was pretty difficult to avoid when he was literally asking me questions straight on what ideologies do you look for in a candidate, what’s your take on the Arab spring, etc.</p>
<p>I feel as long as you don’t come across as an absolutist who believes he has the perfect ideology and would never consider changing his mind on any issue, they probably won’t care (unless the adcom really is just ****ed at conservatives that day and would regret you- which would be horrible and doubtful…assuming you are a conservative).</p>
<p>Not sure if that helps, but I’m in the same boat as you!</p>
