He could write about his multiple identities, or how he’s a part of multiple families…his family of origin, family of dog lovers, family of (I’m making this up now) 17-18 yr old boys who like anime, family of band geeks, family of choir kids, family of (this is true in my household) grumpy teenagers who work at Taco Bell part time, family of ___.
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He could write about his feeling like his story is so ordinary…but that everybody probably feels that way about their story, no matter what the details actually are. That nobody’s story is actually ‘ordinary’ or ‘regular’ - and that what he is going to bring is his curiosity as to what other’s think are their ‘ordinary’ stories…which he knows will open his eyes to more of the world around him.
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Thanks, everyone! I appreciate the ideas.
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It’s so helpful to see the accounts of others who aren’t fully finished with the applications! My D24 had her Common App essay finished in July, so I developed false confidence that she’d be ahead of the game for everything. She did get 3 EA applications done by late September. But then everything stalled. She has a very rigorous course load, and between those, the school musical and Mock Trial practices starting, she has legitimately had less free time.
But there has been very little progress on her 5 supplemental essays for her ED school. It’s due on 11/1, and she’s committed now to having “more than rough” drafts done by this Sunday. 
I worry that she’s just overthinking all of it. She continues to assure me that this is 100% her first choice school. And I really want to be mostly hands-off and supportive. But it’s hard not to worry that procrastination will result in self-sabotage. Sigh.
Here’s my thought … do you all think I’m off base here? I’m not trying to be controversial.
First a question: Did this school replace another essay with the new background essay, or was this added so that the school can ask about diversity in a way palatable to the Supreme Court?
Prior to the ruling, all the elite schools were presumably able to use their supplements and any check boxes to determine how to shape a class that was diverse in all ways. Now with no check boxes for race they can use only supplements to learn of the racial aspect of diversity.
So …
If this is a new essay, and all the old essays are still intact, then it likely isn’t going to move the needle one way or another for you if you are not a URM. It’s just how the school can suss out that aspect of diversity. It’s like if instead of checking a box for recruited athlete (which some schools do), they asked you how your background would help you compete on an NCAA team at the college. It wouldn’t really matter what you wrote if you weren’t a recruited athlete. Obviously, I wouldn’t blow the essay off, but just know if you aren’t a URM, this essay really isn’t for you. Of course, no admissions officer could ever say this, so they say “we value diversity in all its forms,” which is true, but that is not really why they are adding a new background essay right after the Supreme Court ruling.
However, if this is a rewording of the old community essay prompt (tell us about a community that is important to you; what would you bring to our community) then this new background essay is truly asking “what are you going to do when you get here?” And you should address it in a way that answers the old question, too, (and not just the new background part) because that is what the school is looking for: how are you different and unique and how will that show up on campus.
I find it ironic that a Supreme Court ruling that was purportedly meant to remove the consideration of race has left a bunch of white people spending a lot of time thinking about how white they are.
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I feel for the kids its not easy. My S24 was struggling when he was trying to keep to the word count. So his counsellor told him forget about word count at the start and just write and then cut it down. His first draft of the essay for common App was over 1000 words and the max limit is 650 I think. After that he did multiple drafts cutting it down.
Another thing his 11th grade english teacher gave a tip when he was struggling with an essay is to actually record the essay while speaking and then write from there. She suggested this because he was always good at articulating a question verbally or participate in a debate/discussion about a topic. So when he feels stuck he records himself speaking and then writes.
Good luck to your S24.
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In a similar type essay my son looked at how his friend group changed over the years to create a larger network of friends and an expanded community. This willingness to create new connections has made him a more empathetic person. Food for thought.
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Many of our neighbors are Asian-American, and their kids are struggling just as much with how to describe their life as a child of “affluent, well-educated, stable, two-parent Asian households” in a way that does not come across as privileged. They’re looking for interesting things to write about, but the general consensus seems to be, it won’t move the needle so don’t stress too much about it.
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I don’t think it’s controversial to ask. Yes, this is a new question for the school, replacing a different question they’ve had in the past. I’m sure it is there to give kids the opportunity to share how their background has impacted them. A few of S24s schools have added a question like this.
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D24 also started off with a much higher word count with her essay and as she was working through it, was able to rephrase and organize her thoughts in a more concise manner. She ended up with 644 words on her final version 
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I write a lot in my professional career, and if I have the time, I do exactly that–write long and plan to cut back at least 1/3rd. With outside editing help, maybe even more. It invariably leads to stronger writing.
You poor folks, though, get the 1000-word versions. Sorry!
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Some schools are very open about the fact that the Supreme Court ruling has influenced their essay topics. Sarah Lawrence, for example, actually quotes John Roberts in the prompt. I kind of like that schools are giving kids the opportunity to reflect on their own communities and experiences, and how that might affect what they bring to a campus community.
Meanwhile, C24 had a mini-meltdown yesterday about college. They have between 2-4 apps to finish by 11/1, including their top choice non-BFA program, and yesterday they told me they didn’t want to apply anymore. It’s too hard and they don’t have time. This is the same kid who not only picked up a work shift every single day this week, but also two voluntary choral performances and two parties, in addition to their regular complement of activities and classes.
I told them that all around the country, millions of kids are hitting this very same wall, and that they can do this. Here’s hoping I wasn’t lying.
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Argh! Delayed rolling admissions at Loyola Chicago. 
We had read that it would take about 3 weeks to a month. D24 applied Sept 20, so yesterday she called to see when she might hear. Here’s the report: “we just started reading applications because we’ve had people out on vacation, so it will take 2-4 weeks.” Well, as someone who works at a university, I might be able to translate this response. Perhaps what they meant to say was, “A couple of people quit, and we had huge numbers of applications due to the national boom, and don’t really have enough staff to handle it, so we’re running behind.” LOL!
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Same with our S24. He said he is at around 640 words when I last checked 
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Like others, ours struggles with the background and diversity essay. The diversity piece seems to be particularly tricky for someone with a normal upbringing and part of a community that is overrepresented in colleges.
How do you write on this topic without sounding trite?
I would push back against the idea of being someone with a “normal” upbringing. Everyone lives their own lives, and very few people think of those lives as “abnormal”.
I actually think it is good that diversity/background questions might become a more common supplemental essay as I think it is good for everyone to have to think about their background and upbringing and not automatically center their own experience as the default.
Being white isn’t the default, being raised in a two person household isn’t the white default, being raised without economic concern isn’t the default, etc etc etc. Being able to step back from what one may consider “normal” and look it at in relationship to the wider world I think helps both the student doing that exercise and the larger, more diverse community they hope to become a part of (as well as the one they already live within).
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We attended an Exploring College Options program with AO from several colleges. Below are some of my notes about the diversity question (in no particular order).
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Every student has a story to tell. Who you are, where you are from, your life experiences, etc.
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We are looking for diversity of thought and experiences.
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We want to know how you will take advantage of the resources at our university. Will you be active in our community?
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We use the diversity question to get some personal context of your experiences growing up.
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Reflect on who you are and what matters to you. Make sure it isn’t out of sync with the rest of your application.
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Have some understanding of what diversity you bring to our campus. This involves knowing about our community.
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Think broadly. In addition to cultural, racial and ethnic diversity, include linguistic & geographic diversity as well as diversity in life experiences.
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Do you have interests in two very different disciplines?
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Agreed, I think this is much better than checking some box because even if over represented, everyone can bring some form of diversity to the table because everyone is more than some box to check off. I also would hope that it’s not just a way to suss out who is underrepresented minority but actually get a sense of who the applicant is.
Maybe you have mixed cultural heritage that has made for unique traditions and experiences, even if the individual cultures are considered over represented - Asian and German, for example. Maybe you found yourself to be liberal minded in a very religious/conservative household or town, or maybe you developed a close connection with religion in a secular/non-religious family. I would argue that everyone is unique - it’s the sum of your parts that make a person unique, not which category/box they neatly fit into. And those sums add a unique perspective to a school/community looking for diversity of thought/background.
Thank you so much for your reply. I apologize for the poor descriptor. I meant to convey a “stable, well-educated, two-parent household” (as someone eloquently said above) upbringing and I can see that it might have come across differently than intended.
I agree with you in the value of this reflection.
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Thank you so much.
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