Diversity Statement Samples Forum

Share experiences and seek insight regarding your experience as an underrepresented minority within the legal community.
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whirledpeas86

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by whirledpeas86 » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:57 am

linklincoln wrote:Question, does anyone feel the two-page limit on the PS severely hampered one's ability to accurately present one's experience? I had to cut a lot of stuff out to trim it down to two pages and I feel that prevented me from giving an encyclopedic picture of my experiences. Additionally, my DS is three pages long, is this acceptable? Thirdly, if anyone would be willing to go over my PS and DS, I would kindly appreciate it.

AA male
GPA: 3.9 (LSAC hasn't updated my latest transcript, it could be higher based on my latest transcript but as is, it's 3.9 according to LSAC)
Waiting for June scores.
I have an LSAC Waiver and plan on blanketing the T14 per TLS wisdom.
Etc.
Technically, your DS is supposed to be one page, double spaced. Mine was two pages, double spaced, which was DEFINITELY a gamble. I would say 3 pages is way too long. I'd be willing to go over your DS for you if you like and make suggestions on how to trim it down.

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whirledpeas86

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by whirledpeas86 » Sun Jun 26, 2011 2:58 am

FantasticMrFox wrote:
Rheastoria wrote:
whirledpeas86 wrote:Here is my 2-page-long double spaced DS. I really think my DS was key in my cycle and helped me outperform my numbers (even for URM). I'll be attending Michigan in the fall. PM me if you have any questions!
From the March on Washington, to the Stonewall Riots, to the individual acts of advocacy that True Colors practiced, I learned that the only person who can silence me is myself.
That was brilliant. Congrats on your acceptance at UMichigan!
Thanks, you guys! :D

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Horchata

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by Horchata » Sun Jun 26, 2011 3:26 am

linklincoln wrote:Question, does anyone feel the two-page limit on the PS severely hampered one's ability to accurately present one's experience? I had to cut a lot of stuff out to trim it down to two pages and I feel that prevented me from giving an encyclopedic picture of my experiences. Additionally, my DS is three pages long, is this acceptable? Thirdly, if anyone would be willing to go over my PS and DS, I would kindly appreciate it.

AA male
GPA: 3.9 (LSAC hasn't updated my latest transcript, it could be higher based on my latest transcript but as is, it's 3.9 according to LSAC)
Waiting for June scores.
I have an LSAC Waiver and plan on blanketing the T14 per TLS wisdom.
Etc.

I cut mine down big-time. A three page limit would be more helpful, but if you start at three (which I did), cutting it down to two really makes you consider what is truly important from what is extraneous. HTH

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linklincoln

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by linklincoln » Sun Jun 26, 2011 4:16 am

Anyone else wanna critique my DS and PS?

wishful2012

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by wishful2012 » Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:52 pm

hey!

would anyone be willing to read my ps and ds and give me some feedback? i would really appreciate it! pm for them!

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tennisballs

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by tennisballs » Thu Oct 06, 2011 12:29 am

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echooo23

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by echooo23 » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:12 pm

Hi, would anyone be able to read my PS and DS? I'm struggling! PM me, please!

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by juliecapie » Mon Nov 07, 2011 12:39 pm

Horchata wrote:This helped me get into Cornell and USC. This was the max limit of words that most schools allowed. You can pm with questions or comments. HTH Suerte

I am not a bricklayer, but I am a builder; building upon my family’s dedication to pursue a better life. As the son of a Mexican-American father, whose Chicano origins show me the meaning of being a minority, and Mexican immigrant mother, who inspires me to continue pursuing my dreams amidst the daunting and unknown road ahead, I push on without fear. Despite not meeting a lawyer until I was twenty years old, I know that my decision to go to law school is the right choice for me. (I still think this last sentence was oddly positioned, but whatever.) I am proud that I am going further in my education than anyone in my family and honoring my Mexican-American heritage.

For the past three generations on my father’s side, each one improved on the next without a stumble. We grew strong through Christian morals and timeless economic principles, like hard work and honesty. From laying brick in Chicago, to teaching and implementing community development projects in Los Angeles, to starting a small business, I inherited my father’s and grandfather’s strength to grow and build. I cannot falter, but only because their spirit of hard work is ingrained in me. My mother and her family worked factory and menial labor jobs to bear a new generation with unlimited opportunities – ones they only dreamt of, but that are now coming true through me. I am often reminded by the vivid stories from my mom and aunts of the road they traveled. And I now realize they told me so I could draw strength from their trials in tough and uncertain times. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to continue to receive these blessings at the present moment.

When you read this I will be studying and working in X X X, Mexico. To reconnect with the culture that I am a part of, but remolded in a different brand, provides indescribable insight into my family’s history and myself. Speaking in Spanish with members of my family that I know little of, but know much of me, brings a unique joy to my life. Before coming to Guadalajara, I had little interaction with my mother's family, all of whom reside in Mexico. I now feel more complete knowing where my family and I come from. Although the markers distinguishing my two-fold background are blurred at times, I will always know that it ultimately broadens my view of the world, in which I am able to rise above traditional ideological and national barriers when looking at various issues and situations.

I speak much of my family because they make me who I am. I cannot separate my journey from theirs. Though, their lack of higher education has posed difficulties for me. For instance, even contemplating pursuing this goal, I researched for countless hours about how I needed to prepare myself for law school. My family believes lawyers are the type of people suited for the most privileged and elite or worst in society. This misconception forced me to find the path to law school and the legal profession on my own. Sometimes doubt enters my thoughts because of the ambiguity of this revered field. However, I quickly subdue those fears with unreserved confidence in my abilities. This self-reliance is secured both in my hard work and positive outlook, but cemented in the foundation laid by my forefathers.

Using this as the cornerstone of my life, I naturally transcend my history and experience into all that I do, not least in the university. While in college I often drifted into deep conversations with friends and they reminded me of how different my story was to theirs. I sometimes felt alienated by this, but after self-reflection I became more emboldened to continue on my path. My unique life experience – yet similar to other Mexican-American students – brings a distinct perspective to law school and the legal profession. In a profession that has tremendous implications on people’s lives, knowing students from varied backgrounds only improves the discussion and education of the entire student body. This not only makes better and more informed attorneys, but also the society we all hope to improve. I hope others come to know me, X X X, while in law school, and I am sure they will; for they can see proof of the American Dream, and also the mason at work.


This is wonderful! Do you mind my asking what your LSAT & GPA were??

piousa

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by piousa » Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:35 pm

Wow! All of these are really good and provide great insight. I particularly liked the last one. It was not whiny, just took the disadvantages faced by the individual and turned it around to be experiences that enhanced her learning, which is exactly what law schools seek.

viacavour

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by viacavour » Sun Dec 11, 2011 3:05 am

Should I write a DS?

I don't have the kind of diversity I think law schools traditionally look for - racial/ethnic/socioeconomic.
However, I have had a kind of crazy life story, I've lived in 5 countries and hold 3 citizenships.

Is it worth it to write a DS about this?

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alpha kenny body

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by alpha kenny body » Wed Dec 21, 2011 4:08 pm

viacavour wrote:Should I write a DS?

I don't have the kind of diversity I think law schools traditionally look for - racial/ethnic/socioeconomic.
However, I have had a kind of crazy life story, I've lived in 5 countries and hold 3 citizenships.

Is it worth it to write a DS about this?
.
Last edited by alpha kenny body on Tue Feb 09, 2016 11:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

wlee1220

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by wlee1220 » Fri Dec 23, 2011 1:23 am

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Last edited by wlee1220 on Fri Jul 05, 2013 9:57 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Ohiobumpkin

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by Ohiobumpkin » Mon Dec 26, 2011 11:36 pm

Can somebody confirm for me what the proper length should be for a diversity statement? I heard that 1 page is seen as the norm, but many of the statements on here are multiple pages long. Also, is it appropriate to use statistics in a DS?

thederangedwang

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by thederangedwang » Tue Dec 27, 2011 12:29 am

softsgalore wrote:After a Canadian court case that may legalize polygamy began just this week, I was infuriated to see liberals trotting out the same tired arguments against polygamy that have been used for years against gay marriage. The reason is simple: when liberal people think of gay marriage, they think of happy, normal couples who simply happen to be same sex. But when they think of polygamy, they think of compounds and brainwashed young girls. They don't think of my family: two men and one woman, studying together, cooking together, playing video games together, and living together in a romantic relationship. For nearly three years, I have considered myself married to two men, although legally only one marriage can be recognized by the state.

I married my husband [NAME] four and a half years ago. We had a good marriage and stable relationship, but I had also told him from the beginning of our relationship that I did not consider myself a monogamous person. He understood this, and even respected it. When I talked to him a year later about hoping to begin a relationship with my good friend [NAME 2], he was supportive and maintained open communication in a way that made it easier to navigate those first few delicate months. Now, my two husbands are best friends (platonically) with each other, and we are even beginning to consider having children.

It would have been in many ways easier to keep this unorthodox relationship a secret. However, we wanted to be “out,” in our university and our community. I wrote an article for our campus newspaper about the relationship after hearing rumors around campus. We told our respective sets of parents, our friends, our siblings. Through it all, we kept one thing in mind: be open, and if we treat it matter-of-factly, so will others. We resolved to answer any questions – even very personal ones – to educate and inform. Often, the questions were the same: do you sleep in the same bed all together? (No.) Do you ever have jealousy problems? (Sometimes – but so do many monogamous couples, and we work it out.) What's the hardest thing about living with two men? (Trying to divide up the holidays among three families!)

We have dealt with incredulity, jeers, and slurs, and we have perservered to make a relationship as strong as any I have ever seen. To me, and to my husbands, our family arrangement has not seemed like competition, but instead like completion. My family may look a little different from most families, but it is still a family, facing joys, fears, and hopes together. While I know it is unlikely, I still hope to be the person to argue successfully in favor of relationships like mine gaining the legal recognition we deserve. I don't know if the United States is ready to accept us yet, but when it is, I hope to be ready – law books in hand.
wow, this was quite a diversity statement...and a freaking gutsy one...like damm....

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by ESWIM » Tue Jan 10, 2012 1:37 am

anyone willing to read mine? I dont think i am sending out a DS to a couple of my schools and I am kind of freaked out by that. PM me

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:)

Post by sailormoon » Sun Jan 22, 2012 4:46 pm

:)
Last edited by sailormoon on Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

hamsamitchguy03

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by hamsamitchguy03 » Mon Jan 23, 2012 2:59 am

ed ited
Last edited by hamsamitchguy03 on Thu Feb 04, 2016 2:46 am, edited 1 time in total.

twentie4hrs

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by twentie4hrs » Wed Feb 15, 2012 1:47 pm

Has anyone written about or have access to a sample DS on being a first gen college grad?

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by twentie4hrs » Wed Feb 15, 2012 2:11 pm

The school I am applying to has asked that I submit a Diversity statement based on that I am a First Generation College Grad.
Here is what I have so far..Please critique...What am I missing? What makes me different? What do they want to see from me?


I was raised as a practicing orthodox Jew. Both my paternal grandparents and maternal grandmother came to America as immigrants after WWII.
They had gone through the holocaust and wanted put down roots in the United States. My Paternal grandparents came to _________ after being sponsored by a family who lived here at the time. My Grandparents worked in several industries throughout their life in __________ but always carried with them the same work ethic that has descended into my Parents and myself.
My Father and Mother, regrettably, were not able to finish College as they, like many children of the same background, went straight to work. I have had many opportunities that were not allowed to them at the time.
I was able to spend a year abroad in Israel, as part of my college program, studying and learning the vast history of the land. I was able to continue in my college program in Chicago, IL where I did a joint program of studying Judaism and complete my Bachelors.

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My Diversity Statement

Post by Yardieatty » Sun Mar 11, 2012 2:11 pm

I received so much guidance from TLS samples during my application cycle. Wanted to share my diversity statement. Hope this helps. My personal statement is also posted on the personal statements board.

LSAT: 161
GPA: 3.98
Accepted Full Scholarships: Cardozo, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John's (attending)
Accepted Partial Scholarship: Brooklyn, Hofstra
Rejected: NYU, Fordham
Withdrew: Columbia, Duke

As a child I dreamed of growing up to become a journalist, a flight attendant, a lawyer or a DJ. I never dreamed of becoming a statistic. That is exactly what I made myself however when I became pregnant at 17 years old. According to society, by becoming a black teenage mother, my daughter and I were doomed to life of a perpetual despair. I am determined not to live up to those expectations.
Shortly after my daughter’s birth, a close family friend spoke to me as kindly as anyone who saw a promising future hanging off a precipice could. After telling me that she loved me and that she was proud of me, she encouraged me to fulfill the promise of my youth, saying simply, “You made a mistake. Do not wallow in it.” Her words became my life’s mantra. I would not wallow. I had already overcome too much in my young life to wallow.

My father was killed four months before I was born. His untimely death left my young mother with an 8 year old daughter, a 5 year old son, and a baby girl on the way. Fiercely independent, and with no family support to speak of, my mother worked tirelessly to provide for me and my siblings. In her quest to provide for her children, my mother migrated to America from our homeland of Jamaica when I was 8 years old. She needed to settle herself in America before me and my siblings could join her, so we were left behind.

I was left in the care of strangers who ran boarding facilities out of their homes. Although the five years that I was separated from my mother seems short in retrospect, at 8 years old, it felt like an eternity. I missed my mother terribly and longed for the day that we would be reunited. As a child, I vowed that my own children would never have to bear the pain of growing up without a mother. As a single mother, I have had to sacrifice financial, career and educational gains to keep this promise to my daughter. It is a sacrifice that I make readily.

At the age of 13, I was finally able to join my mother in America. It was then that I learned that she had injured herself in a workplace accident at one of her two full time jobs. There were weeks when she was unable to get out of bed and days when I would come home from school to find a hurriedly scribbled note telling me that she had been rushed to the emergency room. No longer able to work, my mother, from whom I learned the value of hard work, now relied on meager worker’s compensation payments and food stamps to make ends meet. I suppose we were poor by society’s standards, but I did not realize this as my mother shielded me from the reality of our despair. She never wallowed in our despair. She carried herself with unparalleled grace. It is through her grace that I learned the concept of dignity.

I could wallow in my struggles as a black, fatherless, immigrant, teenage mother, but the sense of dignity that my mother cultivated in me prevents me from doing so. It is also this sense of dignity that allows me to push forward and give voice to my experiences while working diligently to transcend my missteps and pursue my life-long goals. My struggles serve as a constant reminder that we all have experiences, good or bad, that shape our perspectives. This awareness was enhanced when I entered the workforce as a Human Resources professional and was afforded the opportunity to work and socialize with people from all walks of life. Through my appreciation of their unique perspectives, I have become adept at interacting with people across a wide range of cultural, socio-economic, political and demographic backgrounds.

Now 31 years old, I no longer want to be a journalist, a flight attendant or a DJ. I want to be a lawyer. I continue to be molded by my experiences and the experiences of others. I look forward to sharing my experience and voice with my classmates in hopes of promoting diversity while furthering and fostering understanding of each other.

rasputin85

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by rasputin85 » Thu Sep 06, 2012 6:11 pm

This is my diversity statement. Although my PS is biographical and it talks about my immigration to the U.S. I used my DS to analyze one of the benefits of being around people who are different from you.

Any critiques would be greatly appreciated.

Diversity Statement #2

French: aloof and cold. Argentineans: loud and arrogant. Peruvians: vulgar and obnoxious. Eastern Europeans: drunk and violent. Etcetera.

It sounds almost comical to me now, but those were some of the preconceptions I held before moving to Miami. They were the result of my homogeneous upbringing in Bogota where T.V. was my only window into other cultures, and the collective consciousness that prevailed categorized different groups of people according to some of the shortcomings of a few outrageous and unrepresentative individuals from those groups who happened to have gained notoriety precisely by being outrageous and unrepresentative. Even my teachers and parents were conductive to the promulgation of these false beliefs because they themselves were unknowing victims of the terrible depravation.

So I am almost always sympathetic when, after stating my country of origin, I am asked with distrust if I am a drug-dealer. Aren’t all Colombians just like Pablo Escobar?

It is possible that prejudice and distrust for those who are different carried survival value for our ancestors, who lived in times when the arrival of a different people meant also the arrival of bad things. Perhaps that natural fear is what drives most bigotry and narrow-mindedness, and hopefully evolution will reprogram us not to fear, but to embrace those who are different from us because they enrich our lives through shared experience, knowledge and art. However, I am convinced that we can reprogram ourselves, and aid evolution in the process, by fighting that fear consciously, which is really not that hard once you surround yourself with people who are different from you; whether that difference stems from sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or any other way in which we categorize ourselves and others.

I have had the good fortune of spending half my life in very diverse places such as Miami, Chicago and New York. In my travels, I befriended a very warm French family that opened their doors to me, despite my poor French, when on a trip to Montpelier. I’ve also fallen in love with a wonderful Czech woman who grew up in communist Czechoslovakia and with whom I have shared seven wonderful years. I now proudly say that my two best friends, Hernan and Rodrigo, are from Argentina and Peru respectively. I have learned to respect and love their cultures and my life is much richer for that. I am now a devote enthusiast of Peruvian food and Argentinean music among other things.

Surrounding myself with people from different backgrounds and learning to understand their cultures and points of view has been the most direct and conclusive way for me to escape the confines of prejudice. I believe that my influence on their lives has yielded a similar benefit to them, for I have developed a unique perspective thanks not only to my ethnic background but also through my episodes in different points of the socio-economic spectrum. I believe that this perspective can be of value to Stanford’s already diverse culture.

mosquito

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by mosquito » Fri Oct 26, 2012 12:25 am

Hi, everyone, I'm a gril from China. I don't think I'm belonging to URM group, but still I write a diversity statement. One of my Canadian friends told me that my DS sounds too strong and a bit of racism and I'd better start a new one. I want to know your opinions. How do you guys feel about my DS? Is it really that bad? I need your suggestions!! :cry: The following is my DS~

With black hair, black eyes and yellow skin, I am not very different from most of people around in Hong Kong, except for the language. Mandarin, the Chinese official language which is different from Cantonese spoken a lot in Hong Kong, exposes my identity. It means that I am from Chinese Mainland, as an “inlander” named by Hong Kong people. In Hong Kong, I do not dare to speak mandarin, as I may be labeled with many disgusting identities, for example, “locust” that means rich but rude people from Chinese Mainland who only purchase luxuries, and “girl from the North” that means a girl from Chinese Mainland providing sex service in a nightclub. No, I am neither the locust nor the girl from the North.

But, speaking mandarin brings me these insulting labels over and over. I still remember one day I stood on the sidewalk, calling up my mom with mandarin, later several men walked around me. They spoke poor mandarin and asked “Hey, chick, how much?” I was so scared and cried for a long time. I don’t understand why I come to this place where it belongs to China but the people with Chinese faces here discriminate Chinese, and prefer to be the British. Yes, they are preconceived to treat their own compatriots, the Chinese from the Mainland. To escape from the discrimination, I began to speak English in public places, no matter in a supermarket or a hotel. I tried to use language to obscure my identity, and I tried hard to let others take me as a Japanese or South Korean.

However, a business trip to Teheran completely changed my perception. At the beginning of this year, a business trip to Teheran was accessible for my project team. Before departure, I was very worried about the safety. In my mind, Iran was the country full of terrorists and extreme Islamists. And it was not until I experienced a lot in Teheran that I realized how stupid I was.

On the day we arrived at Teheran, a lot of Teheran women were demonstrating peacefully. Local people told me that the women demanded to abolish a law that in Islamism, women must wear turbans, because they thought the law was unenlightened to suppress their freedom for beauty. In addition, I found there were many TOEFL training billboards beside streets in Teheran. Feeling surprised, I asked a local person:” why is there TOEFL training? Don’t you hate America? ” However, this Teheran young man answered me in English:” No, most of us don’t hate America, conversely, we appreciate this country; we don’t understand why Americans hate us. The Ahmadinejad’s government cannot represent our opinions, we are eager to go to America and learn advanced civilization.” I heard that and thought about what I saw in Teheran, suddenly, I realized I was preconceived to treat them, just as the Hong Kong people are preconceived to treat me. It seems that I made the same mistake carelessly. I never contacted with any Iranian before, but I labeled them with “terrorism” or “radicalism” that was labeled by media.

A sage said that “what we see governs what we think”. People’s eyes are instinctively narrow. If you don’t experience by yourself, how can you get the reality? We thought we could understand the whole world through Internet, but in fact, what we see are pictures carefully selected by political organizations and media. So to speak, we are actually persons of narrow view. When I returned to Hong Kong, I began to tolerate the discrimination, and I would not obscure my identity. I began to show pictures and texts of Chinese Mainland to my Hong Kong friends in Facebook, and liberally speak Mandarin in metro instead of English, and tell the pregnant and the old in Mandarin that you can sit down on my position.

For my upcoming study life in America, I don’t know whether I will be discriminated or not as a Chinese, for example, labeled with “rude”, “bad hygiene” or “dishonesty” that is criticized by Romney in his president campaign. But, I will no longer pretend to be a Japanese or South Korean, oppositely, I am so brave and confident to contact with my schoolmates, professors, even everyone lived in America as a Chinese. I will tell them the long history of Eastern civilization, and show them a polite, environment-caring and honest Chinese girl. I think, at some moment, they may realize like I did that we cannot understand this world by Internet only, we must experience and contact to get the reality. I will let more schoolmates feel a diverse China from myself. I believe, this will be my contribution to the diversity of ** University.

andreskicdo

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by andreskicdo » Wed Dec 05, 2012 1:59 pm

LSAT 166
LSDAS GP: 3.66
Applied (all pending): NYU, Penn, UMich, Berkeley, CLS, SLS, HLS, Duke, Cornell, NULS, UVA, UTexas, UCLA, Georgetown

I wrote about immigrating to America in my PS, so i didnt want to write about it again.



For many years I felt as if I was carrying a huge weight on my shoulders every hour
of every day. Carrying that load was not a choice, or at least not a true choice. In my view, I
could choose to live my life openly as a gay man, but I knew this would entail forgoing any
possibility of success, any possibility of a family of my own, or any possibility of acceptance.
Growing up in Colombia’s conservative society meant facing an implicit negative view of
who I was. I remember the deriding and pejorative tints of the conversations about gay
people. I had never met an openly gay doctor, lawyer, or any other professional.
Representation of gay people on popular culture was limited to crude stereotypes. In most
industries being openly gay represented the end of a career. I clearly understood the negative
connotation of being gay. In the light of these circumstances, being gay was not a choice.
As I grew older I convinced myself that I could live a full life without ever
acknowledging that part of me. I believed that if I devoted all my time to my studies and my
work I could overlook my sexuality. This was, however, not possible. My mind was in the
constant shadow of fear and wrapped up in ‘what-ifs’. It consumed me psychologically and it
even affected my studies and work as it was the only thing I could think about every waking
minute.
I am not sure when this changed, but I know what made it change. For all of the
challenges I encountered when I moved to America, facing my sexual orientation was the
only one that truly felt insurmountable. However, in the same way that this country has seen
shifting views of gays in society, I started to witness these changes in my life. With
increasing regularity I saw the success of openly gay doctors, lawyers, and politicians. I
noticed the change in tone when gay issues were discussed as they were no longer plagued by
derogatory terms. And more important, I came to see the prism of normalcy used to see gay
families. I clearly remember watching Neil Patrick Harris on TV and suddenly thinking that
for me lying did not have to be the status quo, that marriage and kids were a possibility in
addition to career success. Keeping my sexuality a secret was now the shackle I needed to
shed if I was to become the person I wanted. One Saturday afternoon in a whirlwind of
emotions, I got on a bus to Philadelphia where, sobbingly, I told my sister I was gay.
I casually met Neil Patrick Harris a few months ago and I thanked him. His life had
injected a sense of normalcy into my existence, and I am sure, the existence of many other
gay people. Progressively unencumbered by the many fears I had carried for so long I made
new friends, I started to date, and I tasted professional success. Being gay no longer holds me
back. I do realize how lucky I am to live in such a great society that as much as it has erred in
the past, it constantly seeks to redress its mistakes. When I read the Colombian newspaper
from time to time the homophobia and vitriol rapidly surfaces in the comments section
whenever gay issues are covered. It is a sad reminder of the unparalleled life I am able to lead
in America. Today’s gay youth has many role models to emulate. I only seek to be one more
piece in that big and complex puzzle. Today I am applying to law school as an openly gay
man and that is a sentence I never thought I could write.

Kdroper2

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by Kdroper2 » Fri Dec 06, 2013 5:56 am

Im applying to Law School this cycle, and I would Like some feed back on my diversity statement. It's two pages long. Please be honest, as I am sending my apps out this weekend.

A “Bastard”, being born to a 17 year old mother finishing her last year of high school and a 19 year old father who just went off to college clearly didn’t have marriage in their thoughts, categorized me by definition. By “Stereotypes”, having a single mother, growing up in urban Elizabeth, NJ that was flooded by crime, drug dealing was my supposed bachelor’s degree. The person who this society deemed me to be is far from the person I’m becoming. Stereotypes taught me the power of self-definition, never allowing general labels to deter me from challenging status quo and becoming something unexpected.
“Stereotypically”, it is common to see a young African American couple have a baby out of wedlock, the father of the child disappear, and the mother is stuck raising the child alone. Specifically, my parents were young and separated, but I had the pleasure of having a father in my life. Although I lived with my mother majority of my life, I was fortunate to have been raised in two households. My father came from a more conservative family, whereas my mother’s family was a little more radical. This diversity between both of my families made me develop book and street smarts as I aged, and it has given me a gift that most people have trouble with, adapting to their environment.
Having two supportive families growing up in an urban atmosphere, it was hard for me to become a product of the crime filled environment. As I got older, I had plenty of friends that were different from me. I had friends that were career driven, and academically sound while the others joined gangs, had no career focus, or ambition to experience new things. I was taught at an early age not to be a follower, but to become a leader. Don’t be easily influenced, but be the one who influences. I didn’t allow the negative or positive factors influence me, but I used it as motivation to succeed.
Throughout my life, within my culture you would hear many of my peers talk about how great someone is whether it is a rapper, an athlete, a singer, or how well dressed someone was. Going to 3 completely different high schools, and graduating from a historically black university, has given me a multicultural experience that is invaluable. Realizing that I was exposed to people who spoke about becoming stockbrokers, doctors, sports agents etc. I vowed to make a difference in how people within my culture thought. I felt like becoming a superstar basketball player was more like a dream, whereas pursing a law degree was more attainable, and it was foreign to people I surrounded myself with. I felt if I were the one to make this happen, I would make a significant change in the way my peers think.
I believe that it is power in words, so for an African American to be bombarded with stereotypes, it can be a challenge not to follow suit. I was fortunate enough not to succumb to these limitations that various stereotypes placed on us, and developed dreams surpassing those expectations. The power of words is what really drives this country. I learned that by acquiring this skill I could persuade people to believe what I want them to as long as I have ethos to back it up. The power of persuasion is so prolific, that it can create a chain reaction of success. Pursuing a law degree will serve as a catalyst to this chain reaction of success. My experiences and wanting to bring positive change shows that I will contribute a diverse outlook to law school, and when admitted I hope I can add to the eradication of these horrible stereotypes towards African American men.

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retaking23

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Re: Diversity Statement Samples

Post by retaking23 » Mon Dec 23, 2013 10:23 pm

Kdroper2 wrote:Im applying to Law School this cycle, and I would Like some feed back on my diversity statement. It's two pages long. Please be honest, as I am sending my apps out this weekend.

A “Bastard”, being born to a 17 year old mother finishing her last year of high school and a 19 year old father who just went off to college clearly didn’t have marriage in their thoughts, categorized me by definition. By “Stereotypes”, having a single mother, growing up in urban Elizabeth, NJ that was flooded by crime, drug dealing was my supposed bachelor’s degree. The person who this society deemed me to be is far from the person I’m becoming. Stereotypes taught me the power of self-definition, never allowing general labels to deter me from challenging status quo and becoming something unexpected.
“Stereotypically”, it is common to see a young African American couple have a baby out of wedlock, the father of the child disappear, and the mother is stuck raising the child alone. Specifically, my parents were young and separated, but I had the pleasure of having a father in my life. Although I lived with my mother majority of my life, I was fortunate to have been raised in two households. My father came from a more conservative family, whereas my mother’s family was a little more radical. This diversity between both of my families made me develop book and street smarts as I aged, and it has given me a gift that most people have trouble with, adapting to their environment.
Having two supportive families growing up in an urban atmosphere, it was hard for me to become a product of the crime filled environment. As I got older, I had plenty of friends that were different from me. I had friends that were career driven, and academically sound while the others joined gangs, had no career focus, or ambition to experience new things. I was taught at an early age not to be a follower, but to become a leader. Don’t be easily influenced, but be the one who influences. I didn’t allow the negative or positive factors influence me, but I used it as motivation to succeed.
Throughout my life, within my culture you would hear many of my peers talk about how great someone is whether it is a rapper, an athlete, a singer, or how well dressed someone was. Going to 3 completely different high schools, and graduating from a historically black university, has given me a multicultural experience that is invaluable. Realizing that I was exposed to people who spoke about becoming stockbrokers, doctors, sports agents etc. I vowed to make a difference in how people within my culture thought. I felt like becoming a superstar basketball player was more like a dream, whereas pursing a law degree was more attainable, and it was foreign to people I surrounded myself with. I felt if I were the one to make this happen, I would make a significant change in the way my peers think.
I believe that it is power in words, so for an African American to be bombarded with stereotypes, it can be a challenge not to follow suit. I was fortunate enough not to succumb to these limitations that various stereotypes placed on us, and developed dreams surpassing those expectations. The power of words is what really drives this country. I learned that by acquiring this skill I could persuade people to believe what I want them to as long as I have ethos to back it up. The power of persuasion is so prolific, that it can create a chain reaction of success. Pursuing a law degree will serve as a catalyst to this chain reaction of success. My experiences and wanting to bring positive change shows that I will contribute a diverse outlook to law school, and when admitted I hope I can add to the eradication of these horrible stereotypes towards African American men.
Hi! I've read through your DS and want to offer some general suggestions. There are grammar issues throughout. For example, the first and second sentences are not the most effective to way to say those thoughts; they sound choppy and a little forced. Maybe consider saying something along the line of "Born to a 17 year old mother...and a 19 year old father...., I have been categorized a 'bastard' from birth." I will not get into grammar any further because there are quite a few glaring mistakes which would take too long for me to type. I'd suggest rereading/editing the essay yourself and then getting three or four close friends to edit it for you in person while you make corrections along the way.

Also, you explore many topics in this statement. Stereotypes, young parents, two families, peers, disparate environments --- these are all relevant and certainly interconnected but, at the same time, your essay seems to be focused on quantity over quality. I suggest you explore one of the many topics in depth and use that to sort of introduce the relevance of the other issues in the conclusion.

Good luck!

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