<p>For those applying to U-Dub, what do you think about UW's second essay question? My son is dying over it. For those of you who haven't seen it:</p>
<p>"Describe an experience of cultural difference or insensitivity you have had or observed. What did you learn from it?"</p>
<p>This is one of two mandatory essays. My science/engineer/seminerd son's response was, "what's cultural insensitivity?" He's not what you would call highly tuned into the people around him. <em>sigh</em></p>
<p>I remember that. I had no clue what to write about for like two weeks. I think that I ended up writing about seeing someone be made fun of because he was gay. Honestly, I think that it was a sub-par essay, but at least the other prompt was much easier.</p>
<p>UW is such a great institution that just filling out the application form is educational! :)</p>
<p>Seriously, my son is still stuck. He suggested just making something up, but I've told him not to. I think the school really wants a good victim-sensitivity story, but S just doesn't have an experience to draw on. Personally, I think it's terrific that he hasn't seen someone harassed for being <color>, or <gender>, or <orientation>, or <religion>, or <national ancestory="">, but it is making this really difficult. His best candidate is hearing people question the choices made by the parents of a friend of his, but I think it's a lot more about overprotective parents than a cultural imperative. Sigh.</national></religion></orientation></gender></color></p>
<p>Would anyone else like to volunteer what kind of essay they wrote?</p>
<p>I as far as I remember, my son wrote about attending our gay friends' Blessing of the Union ceremony and about the story behind it. It was the first ever event of this kind in the Episcopal Dioscese of Delaware.</p>
<p>Yeah.. he could just attend one of the Gay Straight Alliance meetings at his school. </p>
<p>I'm working on the same app, so I sympathize. The prompt begs for an unoriginal response.</p>
<p>My daughter wrote her essay on the things she learned from others different than her. She did attend a high school where there was a lot of cultural diversity so it was easy for her. She wanted to write on the positive, rather than writing about someone making fun of another person. I think there are a couple of options he could focus on. One is define the cultural difference he is talking about...I think that could be almost anything...economic diversity, gender differences. If you review the definition of culture, you'll see that it can be more wider than we usually think.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input. After discussing three good ideas, he went off and wrote about a fourth. He decided to write about his interaction with people from different "cultures" (he ended up with kids at a migrant worker's camp, the "stuck-up rich kids" at the private school he used to attend, and the strong clique-ishness of his public high school). It's not the deepest thing I've ever read, but he is FINISHED with his UW app! Only about five more to go...</p>