So I’m applying to a few top schools, and I heard that being Asian might actually hurt your chances, so sometimes we would be discouraged to write about our heritage or try to look as least Asian as possible. However, I was born in a third-world/developing country and wanted to write about my experience with poverty, as well as about a sense of community and belonging. I’m also a first-generation immigrant and college student. Would my background be a ‘hook’ or would it actually hurt my chances?
I have other things to write about in my other essays, like the fine arts and my recent experience at a summer program, so it won’t seem as if my childhood is the defining moment of my identity.
It’s sort of a cliche topic, but I think if you put your own kind of spin to it, and made your experience/what you learned different from all the other applicants writing about the same thing I think it would be a very interesting essay
“I heard that being Asian might actually hurt your chances, so sometimes we would be discouraged to write about our heritage or try to look as least Asian as possible.” Try to get past others’ ideas, especially when they really don’t know.
It is not cliche.
What you describe above about your " experience with poverty, as well as about a sense of community and belonging" sounds great. But understand this is about “show, not just tell.” Can you include an example or two as you write, to let the reader see/feel this sense of community and belonging- how you gained as well as how you contribute, give back, have grown because of this? Make it a good read. Many top schools like to see grounding, but it needs to be done well.
